Confidence in State Government Plummets in CT; Third Lowest in USA

In 2013, a majority of Connecticut residents expressed confidence in their state government.  Two years later, 6 in 10 residents, when asked if they had confidence in their state’s government, said no. In a survey of states nationwide, Illinois was at the bottom of the list, with only one in four Illinois residents indicating confidence in their state government, the lowest among the 50 states by a significant margin. Rhode Island (33%) and Connecticut (39%) join Illinois as states with less than 40 percent government confidence, according to data compiled by Gallup. North Dakota residents are the most trusting; 81 percent say they are confident in their state government.

Connecticut is joined among the states where residents expressed the least confidence in their government by New Jersey, Louisiana, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and New York.  Along with residents of North Dakota, people living in Wyoming, Nebraska, Montana, South Dakota, Utah and Minnesota expressed the most confidence in their state government.

In the Gallup survey in Connecticut, 39 percent of residents expressed confidence in state government, while 60 percent said they did not have confidence in state government.  The "no confidence" percentage has increased by 14 percentage points in two years.  The Gallup analysis noted that there is a strong relationship between residents' ratings of their state's economy and their confidence in state government. In addition to Illinois, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey and Kansas all rank among the states in which residents are the least positive about their state's economy.

The results are based on Gallup's 50-state poll, conducted March through December 2015. Gallup asked respondents whether they do or do not have confidence in their state's "government in general."

A similar poll by Gallup in 2013 brought very different results for Connecticut.  In that survey, a majority (52%) expressed a great deal or fair amount of confidence in state government.  That year, 46 percent expressed not very much confidence or none at all.

CT is Nation’s 5th Most Innovative State, Ranks 4th in Productivity

Massachusetts is the nation’s most innovative state, with California scoring a close second and Washington, New Jersey and Connecticut rounding out the top five states, according to The Bloomberg U.S. Innovation Index, in findings that highlighted the connections between education, research and innovation. "There are some things that state governments can do to make their states more attractive to research and development," including R&D tax credits, Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at IHS Inc. in Lexington, Massachusetts told Governing magazine. "State governments — if they carefully target areas where they think they have a bit of a competitive advantage — they could develop a cluster around their universities, as well."

Bloomberg scored each of the 50 states on a 0-100 scale across six equally weighted metrics: R&D intensity; productivity; high-tech density; concentration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) employment; science and engineering degree holders; and patent activity.

Mississippi, West Virginia and South Dakota are the three least innovative states.

Reviewing Connecticut rankings by category, the state ranked 4^th in productivity, 8th in R&D intensity, 10^th in science & engineering degree holders, 11^th in patent activity, 13^th in STEM concentration and 22^nd in high-tech intensity. 

Rounding out the top 10 most innovative states were Oregon, Maryland, Colorado, Delaware and Minnesota.  Among the other New England states, New Hampshire ranked 12^th, Rhode Island was 14^th, Vermont ranked 25^th, Maine finished near the bottom at number 43.

The data analyzed by Bloomberg came from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Science Foundation, StatsAmerica.org and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Editorial Cartoon by Bob Englehart

PERSPECTIVE: Connecting the Dots... to Transit-Oriented Development

by Kimberley Parsons-Whitaker We all talk about it. We all bemoan the fact that far too often the dots aren’t connected; that there are too many silos, sometimes resulting in pervasive duplication of efforts. That if we would just partner-up we could get a whole lot more done. And with a topic as massive and complex as transit systems in a predominantly auto-oriented state, connecting the dots can easily be assumed to be a topic that leaves us not knowing where to start.

Perhaps it begins by recognizing that Main Streets of all sizes thrive with a mix of uses, a mix of businesses, a mix of incomes, a mix of cultures. Connecting people to housing, retail & dining, jobs, community resources, and transportation choices is critical if our Main Streets are to be vibrant and sustainable. Offering a range of housing options located near transit and within a walkable distance of life's necessities like grocery stores, pharmacies, doctor's offices and more can only help to attract anyone who desires to live in a vibrant neighborhood.

The CT Main Street Center (CMSC) network is comprised of over 75 members across the state. This translates to over half of the state’s population living within our member towns. Realizing one out of two residents is directly affected by Connecticut Main Street revitalization efforts makes what we do all the more vital. After all, having a strong downtown core is the foundation of a healthy community, increasing economic resiliency, enabling social interaction, and enlivening public spaces.

Transit Oriented Development (TOD), which connects people to housing, retail & dining, jobs, community resources, and transportation choices, is part and parcel of vibrant Main Streets. A critical component of TOD must be the redevelopment of underutilized buildings into housing above commercial space.

The award-winning Come Home to Downtown program aims to bring more housing downtown by assisting the owners of small properties to redevelop their underutilized buildings into housing above commercial space. Engaging an expert team of consultants, CMSC provides select communities and property owners with customized technical assistance, working with them to develop viable redevelopment options. But what is glaringly apparent is that we need solutions to address the financial gap.

This program would not exist without the Community Investment Act which helps further the goals of protecting and preserving the beauty and unique character of Connecticut for future generations. Established 10 years ago, the law has directed more than $133 million toward preserving and reusing historic buildings and sites, saving hundreds of farms and supporting agriculture programs, saving fields and forests from development, and building much-needed affordable housing. These programs have leveraged private investment and created jobs in virtually every community in the state.

A greatly improved tool for our Main Streets is Tax Increment Financing (TIF), a public financing method that is used to incentivize and catalyze development, infrastructure, and other projects. In short, TIF allows property tax benefits from a project to be used to help finance that project. This improved enabling legislation permits municipalities to form TIF Districts that include both the project itself and other properties that will experience property value increases as a result of the project.

One way that CT Main Street Center is working to connect the dots is by partnering with Partnership for Strong Communities and the Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association, bringing critical information to a statewide audience in a recent forum.  The focus was how we must connect our transit systems to well-planned development that allows for full utilization of these resources: housing, jobs, education, healthcare, and recreation.

Together with our partners, we were thrilled this week to bring to Hartford Christopher Zimmerman, Smart Growth America’s Vice President for Economic Development, and Director of the Governors’ Institute on Community Design. Much of his work focuses on the economic and fiscal impact of development policies on localities and regions.

Zimmerman said surveys have shown that employers in the 21st century are looking to move to areas where prospective workers live, whereas, in the days of factories, workers moved toward large employers. Speaking of what millennials want, Zimmerman says: "They like housing choice and they're looking for places with a sense of place. “

Chris Zimmerman has been introducing Smart Growth America’s new publication, (Re)Building Downtown: A Guidebook for Revitalization, a resource for local elected officials who want to re-invigorate and strengthen neighborhood centers of economy, culture, and history through a smart growth approach to development.

This guide uses Smart Growth America’s seven-step approach to downtown redevelopment:

1. Understand your community – engaging the public
2. Create an attractive, walkable place – the built environment
3. Diversify economic uses – fostering a diverse mix of uses, including jobs and housing
4. Plan for equity – do this up front so that success benefits everyone
5. Improve government regulations and processes – making it easy for the private sector to do what you want
6. Finance projects – think creatively about funding downtown initiatives and management
7. Establish on-going place management – development is not the end of your work, you must keep downtown interesting and competitive and professionally managed

I encourage you to read the entire publication – there are actionable steps that can be taken right away!

_______________________________________________________

Kimberley Parsons-Whitaker is Associate Director of the Connecticut Main Street Center.  

PERSPECTIVE commentaries by contributing writers appear each Sunday on Connecticut by the Numbers.   

LAST WEEK: Insurance Company Mergers - Why Patients and Consumers Will Not Be Better Off 

No Word on When or Whether WTIC-AM Broadcast License Will Be Renewed by FCC

“This application remains on hold and I cannot say when it will be resolved.”  That is the latest update from the Federal Communications Commission on the pending license renewal application of radio station WTIC-AM in Hartford.  The station filed its license renewal application more than two years ago, on November 27, 2013. As the agency’s Enforcement Bureau considers “an alleged violation of FCC rules,” the agency’s Media Bureau cannot proceed with a decision on whether or not to renew the station’s broadcast license. The application was placed on “enforcement hold,” amidst speculation that the action was related to use of the station’s airwaves by former Governor and station talk show host John Rowland, who was previously and subsequently convicted of federal corruption and campaign-related charges.

The FCC had no comment on whether the delay in making a determination on the license renewal is among the longest in FCC history, and a spokesman this week said that the agency does not comment on the status of the license application.    Although the station’s broadcast license expired on April 1, 2014, more than 22 months ago, WTIC can continue to broadcast until the FCC makes a determination on its license renewal application, which was filed just days before the deadline back in 2013.  Stations in such a status routinely continue to operate without any interruption until a decision on license renewal is made.

If the station’s license renewal is granted, it would be for an 8-year period. There has been no comment by the FCC on specifically when or why the federal agency’s enforcement division placed the application on hold, or when it might be lifted.  FCC officials have indicated that most often enforcement holds are instituted due to a complaint being filed that requires investigation.  The reason for the enforcement hold is only made available to the licensee or their attorney, the FCC has said.

The station is owned by CBS radio, which this month announced that revenues from its radio stations were down 5 percent in the 4^th quarter of 2015.  The website Radio Online attributed the decline to “continued softness in the ad radio ad marketplace and lower political advertising.”  One of the mainstays of the WTIC talk line-up, nationally syndicated Rush Limbaugh, was recently ranked as the second most popular national talk show, behind Michael Savage, which airs in Connecticut on other stations.

When the license renewal application does reach the agency’s Media Bureau, they will consider “how the allegation of violation was resolved,” as well as a range of other factors in deciding whether or not to renew the station’s license.  The other, more routine, factors include whether any other objections have been raised about the station, whether the station has been adequately serving the public in their area of license, their history of compliance with FCC regulations, and their overall performance.

Hartford Attorney Ken Krayeske filed an informal objection on October 1, 2014 to WTIC’s broadcast license renewal, alleging that the station “demonstrated serious malfeasance” and “helped conceal violations of federal law.”

As for the pace at which the FCC finalizes action on pending license applications, one indication came last week, when the FCC announced it had denied an objection to a station license renewal that was filed in October of 2013 in regards to station KKZZ in Port Hueneme, CA.  The AM station’s application for renewal was granted by the FCC on February 9, 2016 – more than two years after it was filed.

University of Hartford Students Develop First-of-Its Kind Prosthetic Hand, Patient Testing To Begin

Five graduate students and their professor in the Prosthetics and Orthotics program at the University of Hartford have reached a significant milestone in the development of a first-of-its-kind prosthetic hand. The prototype of the potentially revolutionary device, after more than two years in development, is now ready to be tested on patients. Currently, amputees have a limited selection of sizes and designs for a prosthetic hand. The groundbreaking project, which has come to be known as the “Hartford Hand,” has a unique design that allows each patient to receive a custom-made hand that fits his or her exact needs. Because of the students’ technological ingenuity, the hand can be adjusted as the patient grows.

“It is the only hand at this time known to be completely customizable in terms of size and proportion,” said faculty advisor Michael Wininger, Assistant Professor of Prosthetics and Orthotics. (see video, below)

The five graduate students, due to graduate from the program in May, have spent thousands of hours on this project since 2013, with the goal of making the world’s first prosthetic hand that can be fully customized to patients’ needs. The students have joined the project through many pathways, either as part of their formal requirements for research in their master’s curriculum, though undergraduate honors theses, elective Independent study enterprise, or as extra-curricular collaborators in a not-for-credit research immersion.

“This has been one the best opportunities I have had in my life to design,” said Christopher Welch, one of the students currently working on the Hartford Hand initiative. Each week, Welch and colleagues Yonathan Moshayev, Jake Green, Amber Sayer, and Stephen Sousa, spend several hours improving the current design to make the unique Hartford Hand a reality for patients.

The University of Hartford’s College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions collaborates with Hanger Clinic to offer the Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics (MSPO). It is one of only 13 accredited programs in the United States. The curriculum provides students with strong foundational coursework in biomechanics, neuroscience, and kinesiology.

More than a great learning experience, the project has the potential to change lives as it prepares students for future career success. “They have more training than any other students in the country,” Wininger said, “which makes them competitive for their residencies. This is a good chance for students to train on cutting-edge technology.”

Two of the students presented the Hartford Hand at a national conference in San Antonio, Texas last year. “We were able to get professional feedback and network with people in our field,” said Sousa. Welch adds that everyone they talked with confirmed that there is a huge need for this hand. Both of them are planning to use the skills they have learned with this project to work in clinics after they graduate. “I am very grateful to have had this opportunity,” Sousa said. “I could not imagine a program without this great experience.” Previous students have presented at national conferences in Las Vegas, and have entered the Hartford Hand design into national engineering design competitions.

Wininger indicated that he anticipated tests with human subjects would begin by the end of the University’s spring semester.

The professions of prosthetics and orthotics are specialized allied health professions which combine a unique blend of clinical and technical skills. Professionals in this field design, fabricate, and fit orthopedic braces and artificial limbs for a broad range of clients from pediatric to geriatric.

PHOTO (at right): Yonatan Moshayev, Jake Green, Christopher Welch, Amber Sayer, Steve Sousa, and Assistant Professor Michael Wininger.

https://youtu.be/uxyeoi3G9ks

Four Connecticut Companies Among Most Innovative in National Rankings

Four Connecticut companies are among the most innovative, according to rankings published by Fast Company magazine.  Harman Industries, Oxford Performance Materials, Priceline Group and GE were named among dozens of the companies, in a range of industries, for noteworthy innovative business practices and systems. Overall, the top 10 most innovative companies of 2016, according to Fast Company, are Buzzfeed, Facebook, CVS Health, Uber, Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Alphabet, Black Lives Matter and Taco Bell.  The next 10 include, Robinhood, Universal Studios, Huawei, Cyanogen, InMobi, Novocure, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Amgen, Spotify and GE.

Fast Company also announced Top 50 lists selecting the most innovative companies in more than two dozen sectors, including architecture, design, automotive, biotech, education, energy, fitness, enterprise software, gaming, healthcare, marketing & advertising, media, retail and robotics.

Stamford-based Harman International Industries reached the list of the most innovative companies in the world for vehicle technology, led by an auto sound system that creates individual “sound zones” within vehicles. Harman ranked seventh on the Fast Company ranking of the 10 most innovative companies in the automotive sector.

According to published reports, Harman’s individual sound zone concept allows drivers and passengers to personalize their own audio experiences with limited disruption or interference from other vehicle occupants, with digital signal processing tuned to the vehicle cabin and speakers to reduce the signals from other zones, regardless of whether they are music, vocal or other sounds. The Harman system utilizes a vehicle’s existing speakers with the addition of headrest and ceiling speakers.

A Connecticut-based biotechnology company, South Windsor-based Oxford Performance Materials (OPM), reached the biotechnology list, ranking seventh.  The company, founded in 2000, was recognized for developing spinal implants. OPM’s founder and CEO is Scott DeFelice.

A pioneer in personalized medicine, OPM Biomedical became the only company to receive FDA clearance to manufacture 3D printed patient‐specific polymeric implants when it received clearance for its cranial prostheses line for surgeons in 2013, the company website points out. The company reports it now has two additional FDA clearances, and is an original equipment manufacturer for maxillofacial implants as well as its first spinal implant line.

In addition, Norwalk-based Priceline Group was recognized by Fast Company among hospitality companies for its Booking.com hotel reservation system. The Priceline Group is the world’s leading provider of online travel & related services, provided to consumers and local partners in over 200 countries through six primary brands:  Booking.com, priceline.com, KAYAK, agoda.com, rentalcars.com, and OpenTable.

https://youtu.be/rTrKd3vPyWk

Survey Says Hartford Residents Want Healthier Foods and Beverages, Action Steps Suggested

Two-thirds of Hartford residents believe that fresh, healthy foods are too expensive, and 4 in 5 believe that it is very important for local childcare programs to offer healthy food options. In a survey commissioned by the American Heart Association's Hartford Accelerating National Community Health Outcomes through Reinforcing (ANCHOR) Partnerships Program, a majority of women, parents and young adults in the city see healthy foods as too expensive.

"Making healthier food more accessible to all will greatly improve health outcomes and move us closer to our goal of reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease and stroke," said Dr. Seth Lapuk, pediatric cardiologist and American Heart Association of CT/Western Massachusetts board president. "Healthy food access is especially critical for our children. Obese children as young as 3 years old show indicators for developing heart disease later in life. These survey findings show the community wants the healthy choice to be the easy choice."

The survey was part of an overall initiative to improve access to healthy foods in underserved communities. It was conducted in September 2015 and included 400 Hartford residents.  The survey also revealed that 70 percent strongly support matching a portion of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) so people can spend more on healthy foods. Respondents would also like to see an increase in the number of farmers' markets and wider acceptance of SNAP at farmers' markets and mobile markets.      

Based on the findings of this survey, the organization highlighted recommendations to address residents' concerns:

• Encourage local community, government and business leaders to increase access to healthy foods
• Present child care programs as an example of a key setting that has important influence on family nutrition and healthy food policy
• Promote farmers' markets as a way to increase competition and drive down price

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said "As a mayor and as a parent of three young kids, I'm proud to say that our schools and our Department of Children & Families have been making great efforts to promote healthy foods. To keep Hartford healthy and strong, we need to continue working hard to make sure that healthy food and beverage options are available wherever our residents live, work, play and learn."

Just over the city line in West Hartford, ShopRite supermarket (corner of Kane and Prospect Streets) is offering a series of free courses with a registered dietician to help individuals know “where to start on your path to becoming healthier.”  The “Eat Well Be Happy” Weight Management Series begins on February 24, and will be held every Wednesday from 6-7:30 p.m., for six weeks. Each class focuses on a different topic including: meal planning, portion control, importance of fiber, protein and hydration and controlling sugar cravings, among others.  Individual consultation is also available, and all nutritional services are available to customers free of charge.   (Interested individuals can contact shana.griffin@wakefern.com)

"Healthy food does not have to be out of reach on the basis of cost," said Martha Page, executive director of Hartford Food System and chair of the Hartford Advisory Commission on Food Policy.

"Based on the findings of this survey, I am glad to see that our residents view early childhood programs as a key opportunity to provide a positive influence on family health," said Jane Crowell, Assistant Director, Hartford Department of Families, Children, Youth and Recreation, Division for Young Children. "Hartford's Little City Sprouts program does exactly that by providing healthy foods and beverages to the children, encouraging community gardening, offering caregiver support and information to promote healthy food preparation through recipes and snack ideas."

The ANCHOR Project is a federally funded collaboration between the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The focus of the ANCHOR project is to improve access to healthy foods through the promotion of healthy food financing initiatives with grocery stores, healthful food and beverage contract arrangements among organizations and institutions, and farmers' markets. For more information on the American Heart Association's ANCHOR Partnerships Program, go to www.heart.org/ANCHOR .

Connecticut Among Five States with Highest Percentage of Foster Children in Group Homes, Report Says

The percentage of children in foster care in Connecticut who have not been placed with a foster family is among the highest in the nation, according to a report issued in 2015.  The report, from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, highlights the differing policies and practices among states, stressing that “kids should live with relatives or foster families when they have been removed from their own families, but one in seven nationally lies in a group placement.” In Connecticut there are 4,071 children in foster care, with 74 percent in family placement and 24 percent in non-family placement, exceeding the national average, according to the report.  That compares with 84 percent in family placement and 14 percent in non-family placement, nationally.  Only Colorado (35%), Rhode Island (28%) and West Virginia and Wyoming (27%), had a higher percentage of foster children than Connecticut in a non-family placement. 

The state-by-state data from 2013, the most recent year available, shows use of group placements varies widely by state, ranging from 4 percent to 35 percent of children under the system’s care.  In Oregon, Kansas, Maine and Washington, only 4 to 5 percent of young people in out-of-home care are in group placements, the report points out.

The Foundation’s policy report, Every Kid Needs A Family, highlights “the urgent need to ensure, through sound policies and proven practices, that everything possible is being done to find loving, nurturing and supported families to children in foster care.” The report highlights the promising ways that state and local government leaders as well as policymakers, judges and private providers can work together as they strive to help these 57,000 children who are living in group placements – and overall, the more than 400,000 children in the care of child welfare systems.

The report goes on to recommend how communities can widen the array of services available to help parents and children under stress within their own homes, so that children have a better chance of reuniting with their birth families and retaining bonds important to their development. And it shows ways in which residential treatment — a vital option for the small percentage of young people who cannot safely live in any family during treatment — can help those young people return to families more quickly and prepare them to thrive there.

“We have an obligation to help all of our kids succeed,” said Patrick McCarthy, president and CEO of the Casey Foundation. “If our children couldn’t live with us, we would want them to live with someone close to us - and if that couldn’t happen, with a caring foster family who could provide them with as normal a life as possible during a turbulent time. This report shows more kids can live safely in families and get the nurturing they need while under the care and protection of our child welfare systems.”

Among the report’s findings across the United States:

• One in 7 children under the care of child welfare systems live in group placements, even though federal law requires that they live in families whenever possible.
• Forty percent of the children in group placements have no documented behavioral or medical need that would warrant placement in such a restrictive setting.
• While research shows children who need residential treatment likely need to stay no longer than three to six months, young people are staying in group placements an average of eight months.
• Group placements cost 7 to 10 times the cost of placing a child with a family.

The report also indicates that African American and Latino youth are more likely than white youth to be placed in group settings, and boys are more likely than girls to be in group placements.  Nationally, African American youth are 18 percent more likely than their white counterparts to be sent to group placements, and boys are 29 percent more likely than girls, according to data cited in the report.

Editorial Cartoon by Bob Englehart