Fred Carstensen


State can’t print money, but it can guide economic rise from pandemic

Hartford Business Journal – While Gov. Ned Lamont was watching his emergency business loan program max out in two days last week, administration officials were reminding disconsolate companies here that hundreds of billions of dollars in federal aid to small businesses remain to be tapped.



Seniors’ Sweet Tax Breaks Have Become a Target

The PEW Charitable Trusts – As Americans begin the challenge of filling out their tax returns this year, one taxpayer demographic generally pays less than others: senior citizens. Tax breaks for seniors cost states approximately $27 billion a year and will more than double in the next decade, according to a recent study from the progressive Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington, D.C.



While CT’s reserves rise, Wall Street compensation shrinks

Hartford Business Journal – While Connecticut’s budget reserve just hit a new high, one of the driving forces behind that accomplishment may be cooling down. According to a recent report from the New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, compensation on Wall Street was down 6% last year, driven by a 17% drop in bonuses.

Opo






One problem with empty, blighted buildings? Knowing how many there are.

Waterbury Republican-American – There’s no telling how many empty industrial buildings are rotting away on polluted properties in Connecticut. The brownfield inventory maintained by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection lists 516 sites. But state officials admit that’s not comprehensive. Sites can only land on the list after state involvement in cleanup efforts. Given the state’s long industrial history, DEEP estimates there are “probably tens of thousands” of polluted sites.