AltWeeklies Wire
Connecticut's Millionaires Can Breathe Easynew
Despite a projected $1 billion deficit, Gov. Jodi Rell remains "uncomfortable" with hiking taxes on the very wealthy.
New Haven Advocate |
Andy Bromage |
11-11-2008 |
Economy
Same-Sex Couples Face Roadblocks to the Altar in Connecticutnew

The fact that the state has civil union laws on the books and must now permit same-sex marriage leads to a few sticky legal complications.
New Haven Advocate |
Dave Bonan |
11-11-2008 |
LGBT
Convicted Rapist Bill Coleman is Starving Himself to Prove His Innocencenew
Coleman began refusing solid food on Sept. 16, 2007, to protest what he claims was his wrongful conviction in 2005 of raping his wife -- he was convicted solely on her testimony, without forensic evidence, and no witnesses were called on his behalf. This September, on the one-year anniversary of his hunger strike, he began refusing liquids as well.
New Haven Advocate |
Daniel D'Ambrosio |
11-04-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Does Ct.'s Insurance Plan for Middle-Class Families Threaten the Health of its Poorest Citizens?new
Dozens of independent health care advocates say the Charter Oak Health Plan -- a new health care plan aimed at healthy middle-class adults -- is threatening to destabilize the state Medicaid program that serves some of the poorest, most at-risk populations.
New Haven Advocate |
Andy Bromage |
07-29-2008 |
Science
The Real Solutions to Our Energy Crisis are Off the Tablenew
After a marathon special session that lasted into the early hours last week, the State Legislature proudly proclaimed that it had acted to address soaring gas prices. Too bad it focused on supply-side issues, and didn't look at the demand side of the equation.
New Haven Advocate |
Jim Motavalli |
06-24-2008 |
Economy
Banning Sex Offenders from West Haven's Public Places Won't Keep Kids Safenew
There are 57 registered sex offenders living in West Haven, and the City Council is trying to ban all of them from its beaches, parks, sports facilities and swimming pools in order, they say, to protect the children. The idea comes riddled with questions about constitutionality, enforceability and its real effect on the safety of children.
New Haven Advocate |
Rachel Slajda |
06-24-2008 |
Crime & Justice
The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Poorer in Connecticutnew

A new report from Connecticut Voices for Children (CVC), a research and advocacy group for low-income families with offices in New Haven and Hartford, offers a stark analysis: Connecticut is the only state in the nation to see a significant decline in the real wages of the poorest 20 percent of state residents.
New Haven Advocate |
Jim Motavalli |
06-10-2008 |
Economy
In Connecticut, Government and Businesses Combat the Toxic Terror Known as E-Wastenew
If all goes well, by July 1, 2009, towns across the state will provide free recycling of home computers, television and other electronic devices, and the entire operation will be paid for by the manufacturers, not the taxpayers.
New Haven Advocate |
Daniel D'Ambrosio |
05-20-2008 |
Environment
Can Connecticut's New Carbon Emissions Cap Deliver?new
The bill requires the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions an ambitious 17 percent from current levels by 2020, and a huge 80 percent by 2050. It doesn't specify exactly how we're going to reach that goal, and current efforts -- while laudable -- don't appear to be nearly enough to get the state on track for such big reductions.
New Haven Advocate |
Jim Motavalli |
05-20-2008 |
Environment
High Metal Prices Fuel Underground Trade of Stolen Scrapnew
Scrap dealers and police say they cooperate to prevent the sale of stolen goods, and Connecticut law has recently been toughened. But the rise in metal heists begs the question: Would there be so much theft if there wasn't a network of places to "fence" the swag?
New Haven Advocate |
Jim Motavalli |
05-13-2008 |
Economy
Discrimination Suits Accuse Southern Connecticut State University of Institutional Discriminationnew
Five SCSU business professors, past and present, are suing the university for discrimination and harassment, and all say the university president is aware of and maybe even condones the problems. If the claims are true, the lawsuits paint a bleak picture of academic life at the state school.
New Haven Advocate |
Betsy Yagla |
04-29-2008 |
Education
Sidewalk Solicitors Pitch for Charitiesnew
Save the Children reports that street-level fundraising has yielded more than 70 percent of its new donor base, but watchdogs warn that such methods can backfire.
The Pitch |
Mike Seely |
03-22-2005 |
Business & Labor