Regionalism, State-Local Collaboration Key to Fiscal Future

The Connecticut Institute for the 21^st Century, in a report issued this month and highlighted at a CCSU conference this week, has found that Connecticut’s local expenditures now total $12 billion annually, and have risen 262% faster than the median income in Connecticut over the past 6 years. The organizations reports that:

• Local expenditures increased 11.6% to $12 billion
• Combined state and local expenditures increased 15.1% to $34.7 billion
• Median personal income increased 3.2%

The report, “Framework for Connecticut’s Fiscal Future,” called for stronger action across municipalities in procurement reform, shared services, establishment of a uniform chart of accounts, and greater regional coordination in planning and development.  The document stressed that “home-rule” does not rule out cooperation.

Among the conclusions:  “Connecticut has too many state, local and education structures. They overlap, they are not aligned, they compete for funds.”  Beyond that, “the proliferation of local governments and the fragmentation of the state into tiny jurisdictions creates a staggering array of cots and a race to the bottom competition among municipalities for desirable commercial, industrial and residential taxes.”

The good news?  Connecticut has the resources to enable change, can redefine regional structures, break down state agency silos and achieve procurement reform.  And those are among the recommendations.

CT Top State in Integrity, Income; Bonds Rated

At just about every turn this week, Connecticut was scored and rated: The state received an 87%, good for a B+ and second only to New Jersey among the 50 states, as rated by the State Integrity Investigation. The investigation, headed by groups Global Integrity, Center for Public Integrity, and Public Radio International, looked into 330 different “corruption risk indicators” which led to a final corruption risk grade for each state. The 14 categories focused on transparency, public access to information, ethics, judicial accountability, redistricting, and other areas. Grades reflect the structures in place to prevent corruption, and the degree of access that the public has to them. Only four states received a B or higher, while no states scored an A, and 8 states received F’s.

State personal income rose an average 5.1 percent nationwide in 2011 after rising 3.7 percent in 2010, according to estimates released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. State personal income growth ranged from 3.4 percent in Maine to 8.1 percent in North Dakota. Connecticut's per capita income grew 10^th fastest in the country, increasing by 4.9 percent in 2011, faster than the nation as a whole.  According to a preliminary estimate Connecticut remains at No. 1 in per capital income, far ahead of No. 2 Massachusetts. Connecticut's per capita income is more than $15,000 higher than the national average.

The bond rating agency Fitch, has rated Connecticut's  $555 million General Obligation bonds - schedule to be sold in mid-April - as "AA" with a stable outlook. The agency said the rating reflects the state's "vast wealth and income resources, tempered by a relatively high burden of debt and retirement liabilities. The slow and uneven pace of the economic recovery is affecting the pace of revenue growth and the state's ability to quickly recover from the downturn."

CT Companies Pursue Energy Efficiencies to Thrive

The 900 solar panels on the roof of the R.C. Bigelow Inc. headquarters in Fairfield and the participation of Legrand North America in the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Buildings, Better Plants program - using it's 260,000 square feet West Hartford facility as a model of energy efficiency were both center stage at Yale on Thursday. The Yale Center for Business and the Environment and the Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy program of Ceres, a Boston-based sustainability advocacy organization, brought together leaders from business, academic and government to explore the challenges and opportunities of energy efficiency.

Bottom line:  Connecticut's energy costs make seeking energy efficiencies a business imperative in Connecticut.  And employee involvement can make a significant difference in the success of initiatives to promote energy efficiencies and keep businesses thriving in the state.

Solid Return on Investment From State's Private Colleges

The Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges (CCIC) reports that 28% of undergraduate enrollment in Connecticut is at one of the 16  CCIC institutions across the state, which account for 44% of the bachelor's degrees earned in the state.  Underscoring the significant return on investment for the state from the private colleges and universities, the association also notes that only 3.7% of the state's higher education budget is directed to the schools. CCIC has also announced that eight of its member institutions were named this month to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.  The national program highlights the role of colleges and universities in solving community problems and placing students on a lifelong path of civic engagement by recognizing institutions that achieve meaningful, measureable outcomes in the communities they serve.

Selected for the 2012 Honor Roll were:  Connecticut College, Fairfield University, Quinnipiac University, Saint Joseph College, University of Bridgeport,University of Hartford, University of New Haven, and Wesleyan University.  The distinction is an indication that the institution displays a strong institutional commitment to service and has formed compelling partnerships that produce measurable results in the community.

Index: Job Postings Today, Employment Tomorrow?

The  Monster Employment Index, analyzed by the Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Inc. (CERC), rebounded in February with a gain of 5 points – coinciding with a drop in Connecticut’s unemployment rate to 8% in January.  The increase of 4.3% (from 116 to 121) was less than 6% for New England and 7.5% for the U.S., in the index of mostly high-tech jobs offered online. According to Monster, Connecticut’s online technical jobs index increased by 5 points from 116 to 121 between January 2012 and February 2012. New England increased by 7 (from 116 to 123) and the U.S. by 10 (from 133 to 143).  Connecticut’s February 2012 index is 6 percentage points above a year ago. New England’s index is only 5% higher while the U.S. was again nearly 11% more than the February 2011 index.

The Monster Employment Index is a monthly gauge of online job demand based on a real-time review of millions of employer job opportunities. The Index is a leading indicator showing the willingness of firms to offer job opportunities; more opportunities assume additional job hires in the future.  CERC is a nonprofit, public-private partnership that provides objective research, marketing and economic development resources aimed at strengthening Connecticut's business environment.

Can Homeschoolers Play On the High School Team? Not Here.

The number of homeschooled children in the U.S. has nearly doubled from 850,000 in 1999 to 1.5 million in 2007.  It is estimated that in Connecticut last year, there were just over 15,000 students being homeschooled. Along the way, one of the dilemmas faced by parents of would-be athletes was this:  could they play on the local high school team if they didn't attend the school?  In 29 states, including Tim Tebow's state of Florida, they can.  Since Tebow became a national phenomenon with the Denver Broncos, and the high school exploits of the homeschooler gained notoriety, more states are now pondering the possibilities according to TIME magazine.

Twelve states are now considering legislation to approve the practice.  Connecticut - at least thus far - is not one of them.  Tebow's new football home, New York, is.  Wonder if they need someone to headline a legislative hearing?

My Connecticut Story: Signs and Stories Run Through the State

How long does it take to visit all of Connecticut's 169 towns?  In the case of one resident, 13 years.  And that individual not only stopped by each town, he ferreted out the official town sign - you know, the large blue signs with white lettering that often appear on town greens.  Thomas Fatone's odyssey began in Trumbull in 1997 and continued  across the state through 2010. Visiting is fine, but how long does it take to run in all 169 towns?  Longer.  Nonetheless, it is becoming a popular goal.  So much so that a society of runners dedicated to running through every town in Connecticut has been formed, and they have a website to track their exploits.  DEBTiCONN.org, which stands for Do Every Blessed Town in Connecticut, has a motto:  "All you have to do is show up and run."

Now, Fatone and Adam Osmond (one of the runners) are among a growing number of Connecticut residents telling their stories as part of the state's new tourism website, which encourages such homegrown stories and holds out the possibility of the story-tellers winning prizes and their stories influencing the state's new $22 million tourism campaign.    By the way, The Signs of Connecticut will soon be published as a book.  Osmond, at last check, was still running.  The contest, operated by the Department of Economic and Community Development, ends on May 25, 2012.

CT Alzheimer's Conference Focus on Families, Growing Numbers

It has been estimated that in Connecticut in 2011, approximately 174,000 people provided unpaid care to about 70,000 individuals with alzheimer's or dementia.  The 15th Annual Connecticut Statewide Education Conference hosted by the Connecticut Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association will be held on March 27, 2012 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cromwell, CT. Across the U.S., there are 5.4 million people living with Alzheimer's today; by 2025 the number is expected to increase to 16 million unless medical responses change the current trajectory of the disease.  In Connecticut, the number of individuals known to have Alzheimer's grew by 3 percent during the past decade, and that number is expected to continue increasing as the general population - spurred by baby boomers - continues to get older.

Save the Date: State Parks Centennial Is A Year Away

One can't help but think of the great outdoors, encouraged by a warmer-than-usual and earlier-than-usual burst of springtime.  Hence the recognition that the Centennial celebration of Connecticut's state parks is only a year away - with plans to mark the anniversary already on the horizon. The State will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of State Parks beginning in September, 2013.  Connecticut has 107 State Parks all across the state, "each with its own character and personality," according to the advance publicity for the celebration.  The occasion has been on the mind of state government since a year ago.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is asking state residents, in effect, to save the date - or rather, the year.  More info on Connecticut's state parks is available on the DEEP website.

Connecticut Intensifies Efforts to Curtail Drunk Driving

Connecticut, 14 other states and part of California require the ignition interlock devices for first-time DUI convictions.  Ignition interlocks gauge blood-alcohol content (BAC) after a person blows into a tube for several seconds. If the BAC surpasses a threshold, the car engine will not start. Interlocks have reduced drunken driving recidivism by a median of 67 percent, according to a 2011 news release from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in 2009 that interlocks "reduce recidivism among both first-time and repeat DWI offenders, with reductions in subsequent DWI arrests ranging from 50 to 90 percent while the interlock is installed on the vehicle."  If mandatory use was more widespread, up to 750 lives could be saved each year, according to a study by the NHTSA, reported in the Hartford Courant  and re-posted on other news sites.  In an effort to further reduce drop drunken driving fatalities, organizations including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and MADD are pushing for more widespread use of ignition interlocks.

Connecticut law, revised earlier this year, requires that those with one conviction must have the device installed on any cars they plan to drive. The interlock must stay on the car for one year after the driver completes a 45-day license suspension.  After a second conviction, the driver is allowed on the road after another 45-day suspension, but the ignition lock must remain on the car for three years.