Jobs For Connecticut Now

From today’s Hartford Business Journal: Connecticut’s sour economy is presenting a rare opportunity for making the state’s regulatory environment more business friendly.  As part of their economic development strategies, both Democrats and Republicans say they want to streamline the permitting process across state agencies and remove or alter regulations that are duplicative, outdated, or in some cases overbearing to businesses.  To see the full story, click here.

From this morning’s Hartford Courant: ”Connecticut ranks as the fifth-worst state in the nation in funding pensions for its state employees, and the problem is growing worse, according to a national study to be released today.”  To see the full story, click here!

Republican-American

As Democrats lined up in hopes of succeeding departing Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell, and Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd’s past misdeeds and record of corruption rendered his re-election prospects hopeless, attention focused on Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. Popular and widely viewed as an honest public servant, he seemed preordained to win any job he wanted.  More>

Today, President Barack Obama held a town hall meeting in Nashua, New Hampshire where he outlined the new Small Business Lending Fund. The Small Business Lending Fund will transfer $30 billion from the Troubled Asset Relief Program to a new program that will support small business lending.  The Small Business Lending Fund will be targeted at community and smaller banks that lend the most to small businesses, and offer incentives for banks to increase small business lending.

To see the full press release from the White House, click here.

To see the relevant fact sheets click here.

The Hartford Courant

When unemployment is higher than it’s been in 30 years, politicians are eager — even desperate — to show they have the answers.  Jobs plans, as a result, are flying fast and furious now that President Barack Obama has weighed in, campaigns are taking shape, and the state legislative session is set to open Wednesday. more>

Rick Green’s CT Confidential

At a Capitol presentation on the upcoming budget this week by Connecticut Voices for Children, I heard an audience member loudly comment that higher taxes are our charitable obligation. More>

From the Meriden Record Journal: Connecticut has seen a steady outbound migration for several years, especially among 18- to 34-year-olds. But the exodus continued to add all ages, including retirees, at the start of the recession two years ago. … A recently released study by Atlas Van Lines on 2009 migration trends reports that Connecticut had the highest percentage of moves out of state. Out of 2,031 shipments related to the state last year, 1,230 were outbound, or 60.5 percent, with the 801 inbound shipments comprising 39 percent.

From the Danbury News Times:  While much of the ills of the economy have been blamed on the financial sector, it was in the state’s factories where the most pain was seen.

Manufacturing in Connecticut lost 15,700 jobs in 2009.

From today’s Hartford Courant:  There’s no excuse for Connecticut being at the bottom of any business list. It’s lovely, smart and prosperous. It’s in the top ranks in college graduates per capita, incomes and state spending on schools. It has world-class universities, Tony-winning theaters, sublime museums, bucolic beauty.

Yet in the past 20 years, according to the University of Connecticut’s Center for Economic Analysis, this state has seen “perhaps the poorest job creation among all 50 states.” CEOs surveyed by ChiefExecutive.net rated the cost of doing business here third worst of all states.

To see the full story click here.

From the Hartford Courant:  With an aging population, rising poverty and few prospects for job growth, how can Connecticut improve its chances for future prosperity?

State economic development officials have put together a 66-point plan they say should serve as a guide for policy-setting and decision-making.

Check out the full story here.