Connecticut Road, Rail, Bridge Infrastructure Continues to Earn Scrutiny

Often described as “an accident waiting to happen,” the condition of Connecticut’s road, rail and bridge infrastructure continues to earn scrutiny from policy makers and the public.  In the transportation-congested Northeast corridor, the intertwining highway and rail bridges, often stacked above and below one another or alongside each other, underscore the potential consequences of infrastructure failure.  The state legislature is poised this week to devote a portion of the state sales tax in the coming years to the start of a long-term transportation infrastructure revitalization plan proposed by Gov. Malloy. “Improving safety features on Connecticut’s roads and highways would likely result in a decrease in the state’s traffic fatalities and serious crashes,” a report in December 2014 by TRIP, a nonprofit organization that researches transportation issues, pointed out.  “It is estimated that roadway features are likely a contributing factor in approximately one-third of all fatal and serious traffic crashes.”

The report noted that “highways are vitally important to continued economic development in Connecticut, particularly to the state’s tourism, farming, agriculture, manufacturing, and insurance industries. As the economy expands, creating more jobs and increasing consumer confidence, the demand for consumer and business products grows. In turn, manufacturers ship greater quantities of goods to market to meet this demand, a process that adds to truck traffic on the state’s highways and major arterial roads.”

Amtrak's ridership through the Northeast corridor, including Connecticut, is up 50 percent since 1998, boosted by the introduction of high-speed trains.  A record 11.6 million riders rode Amtrak in the corridor in fiscal year 2014, the Associated Press recently reported.  Commuter railroads that rely heavily on the rail corridor, like the Metro-North Railroad serving New York and Connecticut, also have been breaking ridership records.

That same report, however, indicated that half of the route's 1,000 bridges are around a century old. Not all are at the end of their useful lives, but at current funding levels, it would take 300 years to replace all of them, according to the Northeast Corridor Commission of transportation officials, the AP reported.

“The terrible tragedy in Philadelphia is only the most recent reminder of the tremendous backlog of basic repairs and safety upgrades we have accumulated as the result of years of underinvestment in this critical asset,’’ U.S. Senator Chris Murphy said recently.  He’s proposing that $555.8 million in the president’s budget for Northeast Corridor rail improvements to be directed at rail-safety projects only.  Murphy calls the $555.8 million a “drop in the bucket,’’ noting that the Northeast Corridor repair backlog currently stands at $21.1 billion.

As one example, state officials are working on a plan to replace a swinging bridge over the Norwalk River, built in 1896.  "As a piece of engineering, it's just amazing," John Bernick, assistant rail administrator for the state Department of Transportation told the AP. "But, it's certainly reached its retirement age.” The computer that operates the bridge is from the 1980’s, and replacing the bridge could cost as much as $650 million.

Last October state officials announced a plan, using state and federal funds, for the design and replacement of that century-old Walk Bridge, which malfunctioned in two separate incidents within a two week period last summer. The project is be funded with 34 percent state funds and 66 percent federal funds. Officials anticipate the design for the replacement bridge, which began last July, to be complete by 2016.  With a contract bid package complete by late 2016, construction of the replacement bridge could begin in 2017 with a completion date in 2020.

A report in 2010 from the Federal Highway Administration found that out of 4,186 bridges in Connecticut, 378 bridges were considered structurally deficient and 1,028 bridges were considered functionally obsolete.  In 2008, a report by TRIP, indicated that the average age of bridges in Connecticut was 40 years, and that 46 percent of the state’s bridges were built prior to 1960.  The organization’s updated report, in December 2014, found that 35 percent of Connecticut bridges are in need of repair, improvement or replacement. Ten percent of the state’s bridges are structurally deficient and 25 percent are functionally obsolete.

Annually, $143 billion in goods are shipped from sites in Connecticut and another $119 billion in goods are shipped to sites in Connecticut, mostly by truck, the 2014 TRIP report indicated.  Forty-one percent of Connecticut’s major locally and state-maintained roads and highways have pavements in poor condition, while an additional 41 percent of the state’s major roads are rated in mediocre or fair condition and the remaining 18 percent are rated in in good condition.

In addition, Connecticut has more than 3,400 bridges and culverts on municipally maintained roads, according to the state Department of Transportation. Construction and maintenance of these expensive structures is the responsibility of the cities and towns who own them.  The state legislature, which is scheduled to adjourn on Wednesday, is considering a proposal that would increase the available funds under the State Local Bridge Program to assist local municipalities for FY 2016 applications to $15 million and would add $10 million for FY 2017 applications.

The TRIP report concluded that “making needed improvements to Connecticut’s roads, highways and bridges could provide a significant boost to the state’s economy by creating jobs in the short term and stimulating long-term economic growth as a result of enhanced mobility and access,” warning that “without a substantial boost in federal, state and local highway funding, numerous projects…will not be able to proceed, hampering the state’s ability to improve the condition of its transportation system and to enhance economic development opportunities in the state.”

PERSPECTIVE l First Amendment makes U.S. unique, and poses unique challenges

by Paul Steinmetz For several years I attended every home football game at Western Connecticut State University so that I could network with faculty, donors and other friends. The president’s box, where I did my thing, was adjacent to the press box, where student journalists and coaches sat. One day, immediately following an egregious referee decision on the field, someone in the press box shouted an epithet-laced retort, which everyone next door heard. We all paused. One member of our audience, a law professor, pronounced judgment: “Vulgar and ill-considered, but constitutionally protected!”

At the risk of sounding ponderous, the First Amendment creates a lot of situations like this, although they often pose tensions that are much more treacherous.

Here are three recent examples where protected free speech has made people uncomfortable, angry, and even murderous.

• In Garland, Texas, the Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest displayed drawings of the Prophet Muhammad, an act that is consider blasphemy by Muslims. Two gun-carrying men planned to attack people in the exhibit hall but were killed by police.
• At Valdosta State University in Georgia, students walked on the U.S. flag as a protest of the country’s slaveholding history. A military veteran removed the flag from the ground and resisted campus police officers, who intervened to return the flag to the protestors. View a dramatic video of the confrontation here.
• The Association of Writers and Writing Programs, which represents more than 500 campus-based writing projects and thousands of writers, removed a poet from a committee planning the association’s 2016 annual meeting because some members object to her current project on Twitter, where she is posting, one line at a time, the text of the novel “Gone With the Wind.” They object to the novel’s tolerance of racism.

These freedom of speech situations present plenty for observers of all political persuasions to be aghast about.

The First Amendment for the most part protects writers and political speakers – and all of us -- from government censure and intrusion. Without it, American democracy would not be what it is today. But it poses challenges to normal people who love the Constitution but who also think that not everything needs to be said. And people who will argue for the protection of one set of statements often find that personal political beliefs get in the way of their general support for freedom of speech.

For instance, the same people who are sensitive to religious beliefs that are different than their own and who question the point of printing drawings of Muhammad wouldn’t question the U.S. flag as a valid, and Constitutionally protected, target for political protest.

These are the kinds of debates that form on the fringe of the First Amendment. Some of it is very difficult, and uniquely American.

What do you think?

Paul Steinmetz, a former editor of the Danbury News-Times, is the director of Community Relations and Public Affairs for Western Connecticut State University and the principal of Writing Associates, providing publicity and writing services for businesses, institutions and individuals.

_________________________________________________________

CT by the Numbers publishes opinion articles of 600 words or less.  Submissions should be emailed to info@ctbythenumbers.info.  Perspectives are published at the discretion of CT by the Numbers. 

White House Conference on Aging Will Be July 13

At the White House Conference on Aging regional forum in Boston Thursday, U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell announced that the 2015 national Conference will be held on July 13 at the White House. That’s of particular interest for Connecticut, the state with the nation’s 7^th oldest population.    The July event is part of a year-long effort to listen, learn, and share with older adults, their families, their caregivers, community leaders, and experts in the aging field on how to best address the changing landscape of aging in the coming decade, officials said. Since the 1960’s the White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA), held about once a decade, has helped to drive national policy.

According to Nora Super, Executive Director of the WHCOA, “The 2015 Conference seeks to embrace the transformative demographic shift occurring in the United States to recognize the possibilities, rather than the limitations of aging.”  

At a Connecticut State Capitol hearing, dubbed a "listening session" for the WHCOA, earlier this month, (CT-N video) among the statistics highlighted were:

• Connecticut is undergoing a “permanent and historic transformation” in its demographics
• Between 2010 and 2040, Connecticut’s population of people age 65 and older is projected to grow by 57%, with less than 2% growth for people age 20 to 64 during the same period
• Residents born in Connecticut today can expect to live to be 80.8 years old—the third highest life expectancy in the nation.
• In Connecticut’s 65 to 69 year-old age group, 39% are in the labor force, as are 21% of Connecticut residents aged 70–74, and 7% of those 75 years and over. These rates are among the highest in the country

Testimony at the State Capitol hearing, co-sponsored by the state Department of Aging and the Legislative Committee on Aging, will be shared with officials planning the White House Conference.

Common themes that have emerged as the five regional hearings proceeded, according to officials, include: how to ensure we prepare for financial needs in retirement; how to remain healthy as we age; what types of services and supports can help older Americans remain independent in the community as we age; and how to support this care and the caregivers who provided it; and how to protect older Americans from financial exploitation, abuse and neglect.

Federal officials are urging Americans of all ages to get involved in the July 13 White House Conference on Aging, by:

• Watching the event, which will be live streamed
• Hosting watch party (PDF)
• Participating in Q&A using Twitter (Tweet questions using #WHCOA , and they will be shared with panels at the conference.)
• Interviewing someone of a different generation using the StoryCorps app
• Completing the sentence: “Getting older is getting better because....” and sending us your answer via Twitter using #WHCOA (People are asked to download a form, fill in their answer, take a photo, and send it back via Twitter using #WHCOA.)

Policy briefs on Retirement Security, Healthy Aging, Elder Justice, and Long-Term Services and Supports, have been released for public review and comment. Americans are living longer than ever before. In 2012, officials noted, life expectancy at birth in the United States reached a record high of 78.8 years. A 65 year-old man can expect to live another 17 years and a 65 year-old woman another 20 years.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Medicare, Medicaid, and the Older Americans Act, as well as the 80th anniversary of Social Security.  Leading up to the July 13 conference, regional sessions were held in Tampa, Phoenix, Seattle, Cleveland and Boston.

https://youtu.be/gdAWa6wNYXs

Governor Travels to Iowa for Insurance Industry Keynote

When “attendees from around the world” convened in the “insurance hub of Des Moines, Iowa,” for the second annual Global Insurance Symposium, the keynote speaker was an individual from a state long considered as the hub of the industry, Governor Dannel Malloy of Connecticut. The symposium, being held this week, was designed to “provide a forum for insurance professionals and regulatory authorities to share insights into challenges facing the insurance industry,” and includes “some of the most knowledgeable experts in the insurance field and discuss important issues facing the industry, such as cybersecurity and big data,” according to conference organizers.

Why Des Moines, Iowa?  The conference website points out that “for decades, Iowa has been committed to policy that creates favorable conditions for the insurance industry to thrive. As home to more than 200 insurance companies, Iowa is uniquely suited to host the Global Insurance Symposium and assemble global leaders to discuss these important issues.”

The symposium will  also serve as a coming out for six start-ups completing Iowa's Global Insurance Accelerator, a fast-track business development program focused on insurance innovation. The accelerator brought together startups from Iowa, Nebraska, California, Germany and Brazil, for 100 days of fast-paced business development, and mentoring.  The initiative was launched in February.

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad provided opening remarks at Wednesday’s session, followed by Malloy’s keynote address.  Branstad, a Republican, and Malloy, a Democrat, were re-elected by voters in their respective states last fall.

The 2014 Connecticut Insurance Market Brief reports that Connecticut ranks #1 in the U.S. for insurance carrier employment as a percentage of total employment, #1 in the U.S. for insurance payroll as a percentage of total payroll (5.6 percent) and that one new job in the insurance industry results in 1.73 additional jobs to the Connecticut economy.  The insurance sector accounts for 5.7 percent of Connecticut’s Gross State Product, ranking #2 in the U.S. as a percentage per capita. 

A 2012 report by the Connecticut Insurance and Financial Services (IFS) Cluster and PwC US indicated that an increase of $1 in insurance labor income puts an additional $0.78 into state commerce; and every year the insurance industry purchases an average of $2 billion in goods and services from other industries in Connecticut.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority reports that “Iowa’s insurance industry grew by 11 percent during the past 15 years, while industry throughout the entire U.S. was flat.”  The agency indicates that while Iowa has 1.6 percent of the nation’s finance and insurance jobs, it generates 2.9 percent of the nation’s insurance GDP.

In a op-ed co-authored by the two Governors and published in 2012 by the Connecticut Post, Malloy and Branstad pointed out that “in Connecticut and Iowa, the multibillion-dollar insurance industry remains one of the essential anchors for sustained prosperity and quality of life. Both states are among the top four in the nation for the share of insurance and financial services jobs when compared to the entire workforce. In addition, the U.S. insurance industry is a titan in the world marketplace, accounting for nearly 34 percent of the worldwide market share.”

“Unique and fundamentally stable, insurance would top the list of industries for any governor to nurture and grow in his or her state,” the states’ chief elected officials noted. “The industry attracts a well-educated, well-paid work force of actuaries, financial analysts, attorneys, certified accountants and skilled support staff.”

The text of remarks by Branstad and Malloy at the Global Insurance Symposium were not immediately available, but The Hartford Courant reported that Malloy advocated continued state regulation of the industry, rather than an increased federal regulatory scheme.  "Our states, our commissioners and our governors need to be more actively involved if we are going to protect our industry as we know it, and not be dictated to, not simply by people in Washington but people abroad as well," the Courant quoted Malloy as stridently urging those gathered for the symposium.

https://youtu.be/R_aApLrqy5o

https://youtu.be/CmDCxvRIC3I

Agencies, Organizations to be Honored for Efforts Advancing Local Downtowns

A high school AP economics class that engages students in proactive land-use planning, the owners of a downtown Segway tour company that let the community help name their new business, and the state’s Department of Transportation are among the organizations and initiatives chosen to receive a 2015 Award of Excellence from the Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC). Seven recipients were selected for the prestigious award, representing initiatives in Mansfield, New London, Putnam, Simsbury, Waterbury, and Upper Albany in Hartford.

The other winning entries included a First Fridays series that draws thousands of visitors with its hands-on arts and cultural events; a massive, multi-cultural downtown gathering of dozens of ethnic groups to celebrate a common community pride; a multi-year, multi-million dollar public/private partnership to design and build a brand-new town center; and a local merchant who remains committed to the neighborhood and the state despite becoming an international success.

For the first time in the history of the awards program, a state agency was also selected to receive an award. The CT Department of Transportation received a special award for Starting a Revolution: Integration of Land Use and Transit in recognition of the progressive nature of CTfastrak, the bus rapid transit system opened earlier this year. The awards jury that selected the winners gave the award because they felt the new busway represents a cultural shift in how Connecticut views transit, and wanted to acknowledge the future promise of transit oriented development that will hopefully result around the station locations.

The Connecticut Main Street Awards annually celebrate and communicate the most successful and innovative efforts in Main Street revitalization in Connecticut. A jury comprised of industry-related professionals and CMSC staff judged the submissions on criteria that included innovation, replication, representation, partnerships utilized, and outcomes.

"Our members continue to impress us with how they support, encourage and implement new ideas from the ground up," said CMSC President & CEO John Simone. "They're constantly forming partnerships with new groups, working to sustain local merchants, and tirelessly promoting how wonderful our downtowns and Main Streets are. We're proud of their efforts and excited to share their achievements with everyone else."

The awards will be presented at the 2015 Connecticut Main Street Awards Gala on June 8th at Trinity-on-Main in downtown New Britain. This year's event will feature guided tours of downtown New Britain, including a Downtown Arts, Heritage & Culture tour, a tour of Walnut Hill Rose Garden & New Britain Museum of American Art, and a tour of CTfastrak in New Britain: Transportation, Housing & Main Street.

The full list of 2015 Awards of Excellence winners:

2015 Connecticut Main Street Awards of Excellence                 

Main Street Partnership

▪   Simsbury High School AP Economics Course, to Simsbury Main Street Partnership and Simsbury High School.

Planning

▪   Step by Step: Building a Downtown from Scratch (Storrs Center), to Mansfield Downtown Partnership, the Town of Mansfield, UConn, LeylandAlliance and the Citizens of Mansfield. (photo, above right)

Events & Programming  (Sponsored by Webster Bank)

▪    The Gathering (Downtown Waterbury), to the City of Waterbury, the Waterbury Observer, and Main Street Waterbury.

Award of Merit for Events & Programming

▪   First Fridays (Downtown Putnam), to the Town of Putnam, Putnam Business Association, and the Putnam Arts Council.

Business Owner of the Year

▪   Dawn & Kristin Harkness / Wheeling City Tours (New London), Submitted by New London Main Street.

2015 Main Street Pioneer: Outstanding Commitment to The Avenue  (Sponsored by Webster Bank)

▪    Vivian Akuoko / Evay Cosmetics (Upper Albany Avenue, Hartford), Submitted by Upper Albany Main Street.

Starting a Revolution: Integration of Land Use and Transit

▪   CTfastrak, to the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation and the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG).

The Connecticut Main Street Awards of Excellence were created in 2003 to recognize outstanding projects, individuals and partnerships in community efforts to bring traditional downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts back to life, socially and economically.  In recent years, the Awards Gala has been held in New Haven, Hartford, Manchester, Torrington and Bridgeport.

CT Ranks #21 for Working Women, New Analysis Finds

Connecticut ranks 21^st in the nation for working women seeking to balance the various aspects of work and family life, according to a new analysis by the Institute of Women’s Policy Research. The top five:  New York, California, D.C., New Jersey and Rhode Island. The bottom five:  Indiana, Utah, Montana, Mississippi and Wyoming. Women make up almost half of the workforce, according to the report, which notes that “few families have someone who can stay at home to take care of health emergencies, pick children up from school and supervise homework, or take an elderly parent to a doctor’s appointment.”  In half of all families with children, women are the primary or co-breadwinner, the report indicates, and low-income families are particularly likely to have all parents in the labor force.

“Yet, as mothers’ labor force participation has dramatically increased in the past decades (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2014) and the number of women and men aged 50 and older who provide care for a parent has tripled during the last 15 years (MetLife 2011), the development of an infrastructure to support workers with family caregiving responsibilities has been largely neglected," the report stresses.

The work and family composite compares states’ performance across three components of work-family policy—paid leave, dependent and elder care, and child care—and a fourth component, the gender gap in the labor force participation of parents of children under six, an indicator that highlights gender inequality in family care of young children.

Connecticut received an overall “C” grade in the analysis of work and family issues; no state received a grade higher than B.  In breaking down the rankings, Connecticut ranked 5th in paid leave legislation, 27th in Elder and Dependent Care, 34th in Child Care, and 12th in the Gender Gap in Parents’ Labor Force Participation Rates.  The report indicated that 11.6 percent of women in Connecticut have a person with a disability in their household.

The analysis pointed out that nationally “many workers lack access to even the most basic supports such as earned sick days and job-protected paid parental leave. Quality child care is also out of reach for many families because it is not affordable. Women are the large majority of family caregivers, and in the absence of reliable family supports, too many women are forced to make difficult decisions between keeping their jobs and caring for their family members.”

New York, California, and the District of Columbia have the highest scores on the work and family composite index, which reflects, in part, high rankings on paid leave. None of the highest ranking states, however, consistently ranks in the top ten states for each of the four component indices, the analysis indicates.

The large majority of mothers are in the workforce, according to the data cited in the report, including 62 percent of mothers who gave birth within the last 12 months (U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau 2015). The report indicates that Connecticut has 392,974 “breadwinner mothers in households with children under 18,” using 2013 data, ranking the state 25^th in the nation at 29 percent.

The Work & Family index was one chapter in a larger report card developed by the Institute of Women’s Policy Research, in their Status of Women in the States report.  Connecticut’s ranking was lowest in the Work & Family analysis.  The state ranked as high as 4^th in Poverty & Opportunity, 5^th in Employment & Earnings, 6^th in Reproductive Rights, 7^th in Health & Well-Being, 12^th in Political Participation, in addition to ranking 21^st in Work & Family.  Overall, Connecticut ranked 5^th when all the areas researched were considered.

The Institute for Women’s Policy Research conducts rigorous research and disseminates its findings to address the needs of women, promote public dialogue, and strengthen families, communities, and societies.  Among the partners in the study in Connecticut were the General Assembly's Permanent Commission on the Status of Women and Fairfield County's Community Foundation Fund for Women & Girls.

Stamford Population Grows as Most Cities See Drop in Past Year

The growth in Connecticut’s population in recent years is largest in Stamford and across Fairfield County, and Stamford is gaining on New Haven, the state’s second largest city.  The U.S. Census Bureau has reported the municipalities in Connecticut that have experienced the largest increases in population last year, and over the past four years, revealing population declines in most of the state's largest cities during the past year. The municipality gaining the most people in Connecticut between July 1, 2013 and July 1, 2014, was Stamford, whose population rose by 1,590 over the period.  Stamford was followed by Stratford, with a population increase of 502, Darien (310), Fairfield (230) and East Lyme (222). Between 2013 and 2014, Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford, Waterbury, Danbury, New Britain, Bristol, and Meriden  lost population while Stamford and Norwalk  experienced growth, among the state's largest cities.

The estimated population in Stamford, the 208th largest city in the U.S., grew from 122,815 as of July 1, 2010 to 128,278 in 2014.  Bridgeport, ranked number 175 in the nation by population and Connecticut’s largest city, grew from an estimated 144,845 in 2010 to 147,612 in 2014, which was a slight drop of 174 residents, from 147,786 in 2013, according to the census estimate data.

Over the past four years, population also grew in Hartford, New Haven, Stamford, Danbury and Norwalk, but declined in some of the state’s other large municipalities, including Waterbury, New Britain, Meriden and West Haven.

In New Haven, the 198^th largest city in the nation, the population increased from 129,890 in 2010 to 130,282 in 2014.  Connecticut’s Capitol City and the state’s 4^th largest, Hartford, saw population grow narrowly from 124,314 in 2010 to 124,705 last year.  Hartford’s population is now ranked #218 in the nation.

As New Haven gained 392 residents during the past four years, Stamford gained 5,463, which narrowed the gap between the two cities to 2,004.  Just four years ago, the population differential was 7,075.  Stamford passed Hartford to rank as the state’s third largest city three years ago.

Waterbury saw a population decline over the past four years, from 110,331 to 109,307.  The Brass City is the nation’s 260^th most populous city.  Norwalk, the nation’s 355^th largest city, saw population growth from 85,992 to 88,145 over the past four years, while Danbury, ranked number 388, experienced an increase in population, from 81,354 in 2010 to 83,784 in 2014.

New Britain, ranked number 469, also experienced a decline in population, from 73,240 to 72,878, according to the census data, while Bristol (number 591) saw a slight uptick of just under 100 residents, from 60,477 to a 60,570.  Meriden (number 597) saw population slip from 60,868 to 60,293.  West Haven, the 677^th most populous city in the nation, also experienced a drop in populations, from 55,565 to 54,905.

The population estimates are based on annual population estimates since the 2010 Census and the data  includes annual estimates each July 1, through July 1, 2014.

San Jose, Calif., is now among the 10 U.S. cities with a population of 1 million or more, according to the new U.S. Census estimates.  California has three cities with 1 million or more people (Los Angeles, San Diego and San Jose), tying Texas (Houston, San Antonio and Dallas) for the lead among states.

New York remained the nation’s most populous city and gained 52,700 people during the year ending July 1, 2014, more than any other U.S. city.  Rounding out the top ten were Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas and San Jose.  The other top 20 cities are Austin, Jacksonville, San Francisco, Indianapolis, Columbus, Fort Worth, Charlotte, Detroit, El Paso and Seattle.

The only change in the rank order of the 15 most populous cities between 2013 and 2014 was Jacksonville, Fla., and San Francisco, each moving up one spot to 12th and 13th place, respectively, passing Indianapolis, which fell from 12th to 14th.

For the first time since Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, New Orleans (384,320) returns to the list of the 50 most-populous cities this year at number 50, with Arlington, Texas, dropping off the list.

Connecticut’s is the nation’s 29^th most populous state, with the population in 2014 estimated by the U.S. Census at 3,596,677, an increase from 3,574,096 in 2010.  However, the state's population  last year was less than the previous year (3,599,341 in 2013), down by 2,664 statewide, according to the U.S. Census data.

Pedals for Progress Sends Bicycles Overseas to Boost Opportunity, Improve Economic Conditions

Area residents with an adult or child’s bicycle in repairable condition are urged to consider a donation to Pedals for Progress (P4P) in West Granby this weekend.  The national organization rescues bicycles destined for overburdened U.S. landfills and ships them to developing countries where they are sorely needed and highly valued. Last year, bike collections were sponsored by approximately 41 community partners in six states, including Connecticut. P4P bikes are put to work not only as basic transportation, but are used as a supplement to school and community programs. The bikes are adapted for use as trash haulers, produce trucks, taxis, and farm machinery.

With overseas partners, the bicycles take on an even greater significance – to keep the bikes working, maintenance is necessary. Children and adults are trained in bicycle maintenance and repair, and the bicycles are sold within the community, fostering the development of a local economy. If a person would like to have a bicycle but cannot pay for it, that person has to work for the shop (and learn a new skill) in order to cover the cost of the bicycle.

P4P also arranges for the bicycle shops to have a supply of tools, parts, accessories, and lubricants for maintaining the bikes. With Pedals for Progress, a bicycle becomes a valuable commodity for trade, employment, transportation, local government – the list goes on.

Sponsored by Jackie Rubell Johnson with support from Holcomb Farm, bikes can be dropped off from 12 noon to 3 PM on Saturday May 23, 2015, rain or shine at Holcomb Farm, 113 Simsbury Road, in West Granby. [“Bikes for parts” or disassembled bikes are not accepted.] It costs $40 to collect, process, ship, rebuild and distribute each bicycle. A donation toward shipping costs is necessary.  Organizers ask for a minimum $10 donation with each bike or sewing machine to help cover the cost of shipping. Receipts are offered for value of donation including cash.

P4P collects 5,000 to 7,000 bicycles annually and transfers this material wealth to those in need. To date, more than 140,000 have been shipped to developing countries in Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe.  Last year, the bicycles were donated to recipients in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Albania, Moldova, and Madagascar. 

In these countries the bikes are reconditioned by partner agencies and distributed at low cost to poor working adults. These bikes provide reliable transportation for commuting to work, transporting product to market, or accessing health care and other services. Steady employment for is vital to the development and success of these economies.

In 2014, Pedals for Progress shipped a total of 3,634 bicycles, 274 sewing machines, and approximately $360,000 in bicycle parts and accessories, to seven nonprofit agency partners in seven developing countries. That brought the cumulative donations shipped in the last 24 years, since the organization’s inception in 1991, to 142,437 bicycles, 2,860 sewing machines, and over $12 million in parts and accessories donated to 38 countries.

Among the organizations providing support are the Clif Bar Family Foundation, FedEx and Thulé.   Connecticut organizations that participated in collecting bicycles in 2014, in addition to Jackie Rubell Johnson with support from Holcomb Farm in West Granby, include Newtown Rotary Club, Old Greenwich Presbyterian Church, and the Wilton High School Spanish Honor Society.

The organization also accepts working portable sewing machines and P4P seeks donations of wrenches for their overseas shops. All cash and material donations are fully deductible and a receipt will be available at the collection site.

Pedals for Progress is a 501 © (3) corporation and a registered charity in the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Iowa and Connecticut.  More information about the organization is available at  www.p4p.org; for information about the May 23 pick-up in West Granby, call 860 653 7758.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0qfStNmS6k&feature=youtu.be

Percentage of Christians in America, Catholics in Connecticut Drops, New Study Finds

The Christian share of the U.S. population is declining, while the number of U.S. adults who do not identify with any organized religion is growing nationwide, according to an extensive new survey by the Pew Research Center.  The drop in the percentage of Catholic residents in Connecticut was the largest among the states, according to the Pew research data, while the percentage of unaffiliated remained steady. In Connecticut, 33 percent of residents are Catholic, 17 percent are Mainline Protestant, 13 percent are Evangelical Protestant, 5 percent area historically Black Protestant, and 3 percent are Jewish.  About one percent of the population in Connecticut are Buddhist, approximately the same percentage as Hindu, Muslim and Mormon, according to the Pew survey, based on 2014 data.   The survey indicated that 23 percent are unaffiliated with a religion.

While the drop in Christian affiliation is particularly pronounced among young adults nationwide, it is occurring among Americans of all ages. The same trends are seen among whites, blacks and Latinos; among both college graduates and adults with only a high school education; and among women as well as men, according to the Pew data.

The major new survey of more than 35,000 Americans by the Pew Research Center finds that the percentage of adults (ages 18 and older) who describe themselves as Christians has dropped by nearly eight percentage points in just seven years, from 78.4 percent in a similarly sized national Pew Research survey in 2007 to 70.6 percent in 2014.

Over the same period, the percentage of Americans who are religiously unaffiliated – describing themselves as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” – has jumped more than six points, from 16.1 percent to 22.8 percent. And the share of Americans who identify with non-Christian faiths also has inched up, rising 1.2 percentage points, from 4.7 percent in 2007 to 5.9 percent in 2014.

In Connecticut, the percentage of Catholics dropped from 43 percent in 2007 to 33 percent in 2014. The 10 percentage point drop among Catholics in Connecticut was the largest in the nation.  Massachusetts saw a nine point drop between 2007 and 2014, from 43 percent to 34 percent of that state’s population.

The percentage of Mainline Protestants (13% to 17%), Evangelical Protestants (9% to 13%), historically Black Protestant (4% to 5%), and Jewish residents (1% to 3%), all increased in Connecticut between 2007 and 2014.  For the first time, the percentage of Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu residents each reached one percent in the 2014 survey.  The percentage of unaffiliated was relatively constant in Connecticut, increasing from 22 percent in 2007 to 23 percent in 2014, as the national percentage grew from 16 percent to 23 percent, matching the Connecticut percentage.

Even as their numbers decline, American Christians – like the U.S. population as a whole – are becoming more racially and ethnically diverse.  Religious intermarriage also appears to be on the rise: Among Americans who have gotten married since 2010, nearly four-in-ten (39%) report that they are in religiously mixed marriages, compared with 19% among those who got married before 1960, the Pew analysis pointed out.

Because the U.S. census does not ask Americans about their religion, there are no official government statistics on the religious composition of the U.S. public, Pew noted. The most recent Religious Landscape Study was designed to obtain a minimum of 300 interviews with respondents in each state and the District of Columbia.

States Under Pressure to Raise Gas Tax to Support Infrastructure Repair

In nearly two-thirds of states, state-imposed fuel taxes have not kept up with inflation for two decades, according to a Governing analysis of state gas tax data reported to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is forcing legislators around the country to consider raising gas taxes or exploring other ways to increase transportation spending, as Congressional action on adjusting the federal portion of the gas tax to meet infrastructure needs remains stalled. As Connecticut – with among the nation’s highest gas taxes - contemplates embarking on a decades-long comprehensive transportation infrastructure upgrade, how to fund the likely record-setting fiscal requirements has been assigned to a task force to consider and propose recommendations.  Earlier this month, Michigan voters resoundingly defeated a measure -- 80 percent voted “no” -- to hike gas taxes and make many other changes to boost state transportation spending, Governing reported. Last fall, Massachusetts voters recinded (with 53% of the vote) a law that would have automatically tied gas tax rates to inflation.  The law had been passed by the state legislature in 2013. 

Connecticut’s gas tax, increased most recently by about 4 cents per gallon in July 2013, based on legislation approved previously – a step not taken by many other states in recent years. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy reported earlier this year that 22 states hadn’t raised their gas taxes in more than a decade, according to Governing.  Connecticut is not among them.

At the federal level, the gas tax was last increased in 1993. Since then, inflation, fuel-efficient vehicles and changing driving habits are all undermining the per-gallon charges that are the country’s main source for transportation funding to repair roads, bridges, and related infrastructure.  In most states, just as nationally, those problems grow because lawmakers rarely adjust fuel taxes, Governing noted. Connecticut, as other states, has also seen funds derived from the gas tax diverted from transportation-related purposes through the years, adversely impacting the status of transportation infrastructure.

In January, USA Today and 24/7 Wall Street reported that Connecticut’s state fuel tax of 43.2 cents per gallon was the fifth highest in the nation, and as a percentage of the gas price, the state was third highest.  At the time, Connecticut’s gas price was the sixth highest in the nation.  Gas prices nationwide and in Connecticut have risen since January, and Connecticut continues to rank near the top of most gas price surveys.

In Connecticut, the inflation-adjusted change is a reduction of in the value of the dollars provided by the tax of 32.6 percent since 2000 and 22.3 percent since 1994, according to the Governing analysis, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.  Earlier this year, Governor Malloy announced a two-part transportation plan consisting of a five-year ramp-up that utilizes $10 billion capital funding, and leads up to a 30-year vision utilizing $100 billion in funding.  The Transportation Finance Panel he appointed to  recommend options the state can utilize to finance the infrastructure transformation is due to report this summer (see members below).

The federal government’s 18.4-cent gasoline tax brought in a fifth less, in inflation-adjusted dollars, in 2013 than in 1993, Governing reported. The federal government’s buying power peaked in 1994, immediately following its gas tax hike. The purchasing power of states fuel taxes peaked five years later, in 1999. In 37 states, inflation-adjusted revenues from fuel taxes slipped since 2000.

At the federal level, fuel taxes have been flat for more than 20 years, starving the Highway Trust Fund of revenue used for rising infrastructure repair costs, according to Reuters.  According to Forbes, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated that in 2024 alone the Highway Trust Fund will spend $18 billion more than it brings in, Forbes has reported. The CBO estimates the cumulative shortfall over the next decade will top $160 billion.

A year ago, when gas prices nationwide were at their lowest levels in years, Republican Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee and Democrat Chris Murphy of Connecticut proposed raising federal gasoline and diesel taxes by 12 cents a gallon over two years– to bring the tax where it would have been had it kept up with inflation for the past two decades.  As in the past, the prospect of a federal tax increase in the gas tax – even to address needed transportation infrastructure repairs – did not gain significant support.

At the time, it was estimated that American drivers pay an average of $94 a year to access over 11,618 miles of highways, roads and bridges.  Based on data from the Government accountability Office, the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association pointed out that “with a growing number of potholes, cracked roads and traffic jams plaguing America, we need a common-sense and responsible way to pay for improving our infrastructure.”

The Governor’s Transportation Finance Panel, appointed earlier this spring, includes:

• Cameron Staples (Chair): President and CEO, New England Association of Schools and Colleges; Former Co-Chair of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, Connecticut General Assembly
• Beth Osborne: Senior Policy Advisor, Transportation for America; Former Acting Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, U.S. Department of Transportation
• William Bonvillian: Director, Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Washington, D.C. Office
• Joan Carty: President and CEO, Housing Development Fund
• Bert Hunter: Chief Investment Officer, Connecticut Green Bank
• Oz Griebel: President and CEO, MetroHartford Alliance
• Paul Timpanelli: President and CEO, Bridgeport Regional Business Council
• Stanley Mickus: Marketing and Public Affairs, Cross Sound Ferry Services
• Emil Frankel: Consultant on transportation policy; Former Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Transportation (1991-1995); Former Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, U.S. Department of Transportation (2002-2005)