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Connecticut Ranks Number 49 For Fiscal Health

 

The One Page Document at Connecticut - Truth in Accounting provides a clear snapshot of what taxpayers are confronted with while living and paying taxes in Connecticut

 

 

Connecticut Confronts an Underfunded Pension Liability of as Much as $100 Billion (Ken Dixon / New Haven Register)

 

Chris Powell | journalinquirer.com reports

Lamont's reversal on tolls means he can't economize

 

 

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February 20, 2019   

From:  The Federation of Connecticut Taxpayers

Contact:  Susan Kniep, President

Website: http://ctact.org/

Email: fctopresident@aol.com

Telephone: 860-841-8032

 

 

The Connecticut Mirror reports

 

Lamont seeks giveback from future state retirees

 

Governor also to ask towns to pay portion of teacher pension costs

 

by Keith M. Phaneuf February 19, 2019 View as "Clean Read"

 

Ned Lamont will seek concessions that could reduce pension benefits to future retired state employees by more than $130 million per year a move that was immediately met with resistance Tuesday from union officials.

The governor also announced Tuesday he would revive a controversial proposal to share a portion of those costs with cities and towns albeit a smaller share than his predecessor, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, initially sought in 2017. And Lamont also offered a few more details of his plans to broaden the sales tax base.  Continue reading at https://ctmirror.org/2019/02/19/lamont-seeks-major-giveback-from-retired-state-workers/    

 

Read more at Money

 

 

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Christine Stuart of CT News Junkie reports

 

Labor Says It Wont Entertain Lamonts Request For Concessions

 

HARTFORD, CT Gov. Ned Lamont has quickly learned that Connecticuts pension and debt obligations are among the largest cost drivers in government, and in order to fix the state budget he is going to need to tackle them head-on, even if it upsets his friends in labor.

A week ago he announced that he was putting Connecticut on a debt diet and would be putting $500 million less per year on the states credit card. On Tuesday, a day before he released his budget, he announced that he would be looking for concessions from state employees, too.   Continue reading at https://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/archives/entry/20190219_labor_says_it_wont_entertain_lamonts_request_for_concessions/  State Budget, Pensions, Taxes, State Capitol

 

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Public Pension Funds' Sole Responsibility Is to Secure the Retirement of Public Sector Workers (Wayne Winegarden / Forbes)

 

Excerpt: State and local public pension funds are trillions of dollars in debt. Without fully accounting for the risks, state public pension funds have $1.4 trillion in unfunded liabilities (e.g. debt) according to the Pew Centers latest estimates. Even more troubling, this debt is still growing.  Continue at https://www.forbes.com/sites/waynewinegarden/2019/02/14/public-pension-funds-sole-responsibility-is-to-secure-the-retirement-of-public-sector-workers/#425d532f1ea6

 

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Dan Haar: Your cheat sheet on the state budget

 

Updated 10:59 pm EST, Monday, February 18, 2019 The Big Picture

 

By the standards of some recent crises, the budget year that starts July 1 isnt horrendous. Yes, it has a projected shortfall of $1.45 billion, or about 7.5 percent, if nothing changes from the current years budget. But there are some fairly easy ways to knock it down to size.  Continue reading at https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Dan-Haar-Your-cheat-sheet-on-the-state-budget-13625345.php

 

 

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So you think you know the state budget? - ctmirror.org

 

 

Take the Test.  Here is one of the questions

 

Connecticut has nearly 100 sales tax exemptions on the books that collectively are worth nearly $4 billion. The largest exemptions, worth $1.1 billion, involve the sale of goods and services to government organizations. What is the second-largest exemption? Continue at https://ctmirror.org/2019/02/18/so-you-think-you-know-the-state-budget-take-our-quiz-and-find-out/

 

 

 

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The Washington Times reports

 

Judge approves lawsuit aimed at halting $500 million Obama museum and library

 

A judge on Tuesday gave the green light to a lawsuit that aims to stop for good the delayed construction of former President Barack Obama's $500 million presidential center in a Chicago park beside Lake Michigan. Read More >

 

 

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United States Department of Justice

 

Home Office of Public Affairs News

 

Department of Justice

Office of Public Affairs

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

 

Former U.S. Counterintelligence Agent Charged With Espionage on Behalf of Iran;  

Four Iranians Charged With a Cyber Campaign Targeting Her Former Colleagues

Indictment Unsealed as U.S. Treasury Department Announces Economic Sanctions

Monica Elfriede Witt, 39, a former U.S. service member and counterintelligence agent, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia for conspiracy to deliver and delivering national defense information to representatives of the Iranian government.   Continue reading at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-us-counterintelligence-agent-charged-espionage-behalf-iran-four-iranians-charged-cyber

 

 

 

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Department of Justice

Office of Public Affairs

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, February 8, 2019

 

Justice Department Files First of its Kind Action to Stop Tennessee Pharmacies’ Unlawful Dispensing of Opioids

The Justice Department announced an action today to stop two pharmacies, their owner, and three pharmacists from dispensing controlled substance medications, including powerful opioids that have been linked to abuse and diversion. The action is part of a coordinated effort by the Departments Prescription Interdiction& Litigation (PIL) Task Force to deploy all available criminal, civil, and regulatory tools to reverse the tide of opioid overdoses in the United States. Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt for the Department of Justices Civil Division, U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee, D. Christopher Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrations (DEA) Louisville Field Division, and Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Inspector General made the announcement. Continue reading at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-files-first-its-kind-action-stop-tennessee-pharmacies-unlawful-dispensing

 

 

 

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Hartford Courant reports

 

Connecticut joins lawsuit fighting Trump administration over border wall emergency declaration