“Fatherlessness”

By ARIELLE REICH

It was announced this week that House Speaker Jim Amann is establishing a 12-person task force to study the root causes of, and possible legislative solutions to, fatherless families in Connecticut.

From the Connecticut Post:

 Amann says he’s concerned that children growing up in homes without fathers face tougher odds, such as greater likelihood of criminal involvement.

In press statements, members of this task force went on to blame poverty, teen pregnancy, child abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, and even health and education problems, on not having a father in the home. All these issues are complex, with multiple root causes, and demand creative problem solving.  It seems counterproductive to assume that the commitment of time and resources to a vague study of “fatherlessness,” will produce any concrete solutions.  Oversimplification rarely does.

This task force certainly seems well intentioned.  I don’t blame the legislators for taking a stance and fighting for the welfare of Connecticut families and children, but I think this task force misses the point.

“Fatherlessness” alone is a rather poor predictor of future success in any venue.  One only has to look at children of fatherless households that have grown into the most successful and prominent adults in our society.  Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and even our own Jim Himes were all raised predominantly by single mothers, and there are thriving children all over the country who are being raised in cohesive, strong, and loving families that have two parents of the same gender.

Also, according to the statement of Rep. Ken Green, the “task force will even look to see if the financial burden of the state’s attempt to collect child support from fathers is limiting the involvement of the father in a child’s life.”   The collection of child support from absent parents is probably the one most direct method of assistance to so many single families, and has the most immediate positive impact.  The task force should steer clear of tinkering with a legislative program that obviously works well.  Otherwise, they run the risk of undermining the same parental responsibility that they say they want to promote. 

The effort to cure the ills of society with legislative solutions may be laudable, but perhaps our limited resources should be focused on issues that have proven to have a more direct impact on the welfare and betterment of Connecticut families.  After all, it seems impossible to cure “the epidemic of fatherlessness” but we can focus on solutions that have a proven track record of success, such as strengthening our education system and building strong and cohesive community centers that support the family structure, whatever it may be.

United for Obama

By DAN MALLOY

As the dust settles from a historic Presidential primary battle, I understand the mixed emotions that some Democrats have felt in the past few weeks.  As someone who publicly supported Hillary Clinton’s primary campaign, I realize that it can be difficult to move on from a candidate on whose behalf many of us worked so hard.  At the same time, there can be absolutely no question that we are Democrats and progressives foremost, and that now is the time for our Party to join together and present a clear and united front in support of Barack Obama.

In that spirit, I attended a meeting last night to hear from some of the leadership of the Obama campaign to talk about some basic planning moving forward, both political and financial.  I was given the opportunity to speak and express the importance of coming together as Democrats to change the direction the country is headed and to work actively to make that happen; whether it be by hosting an event, reaching out to friends, or joining the campaign as a volunteer. 

We have the chance this fall to elect a person who can begin to right the wrongs that eight years of a disastrous Bush administration has done, and to change our country for the better.  Obama’s ability to inspire and engage a new generation of voters is something our Party hasn’t seen in a long time, and something we need now more than ever.  I am excited not only about Obama as an individual, but also about his policies and his vision for the future of our nation.  I encourage you to visit his campaign website and see what you can do here in Connecticut to be involved in this groundbreaking campaign.

This is Not a Drill

By MICHAEL K. NORRIS

Blues Traveler came to Stamford last week for the Alive @ Five concert series. I would have liked that blast from the past but missed it, unfortunately. I did, however, get a chance to be nostalgic earlier in the week when President Bush pistol-whipped congress for not lifting oil drilling bans. Felt like his first term all over again:

“There is no excuse for delay,” the President scolded on Wednesday, adding that with gas prices over $4 a gallon, “families across the country are looking to Washington for a response.”   He also said there are potentially 18 billion gallons of oil lying around waiting for us to find. Let’s assume President Bush is telling the truth.  Let’s also assume that oil is as easy to find as he suggests.  We should also assume, just for kicks, that the internal combustion engine, a technology over a century old, will still be powering most of our motor vehicles.

According to the U.S Department of Energy, our oil consumption is in the neighborhood of 20,697,000 barrels of oil per day.  If, despite population growth, we can hold that level of consumption at least steady for the next several years (while we wait for the 18 billion gallons to become available to us) the 18 billion gallons, if used exclusively, would only hold us for about 870 days, or about two years and four months. Give or take a few weeks. 

And when we’re done with that oil, after spending billions for it and the infrastructure that gave it to us in the first place, what are we going to do? That’s right, go right back to imports.  I’m sure oil won’t exactly be dirt cheap by then since we’ll have less of it beneath our feet and other countries will just be beefing up their demand. This entire scenario also assumes that while we’re all in our backyards with our DeWalt drills, OPEC won’t cut output.

We also have another problem: we’re ‘addicted to oil.’ President Bush said so in the January 31, 2006 State of the Union address.  Weighing that against his call to drill last week, I can’t help but wonder if he thinks we could help people quit smoking buy buying them cartons of cigarettes.  Still, the president was right last week when he said “families are looking to Washington for a response.” Washington should respond by finding ways to get the country ‘addicted to innovation’ since that’ll be a better way to kick the oil habit.

Meeting with Barack Obama

By DAN MALLOY

This afternoon, I am writing to you from the United States Conference of Mayors Annual Gathering in Miami, Florida.  This collaboration of mayors represents about 85% of the entire U.S. population and allows municipal leadership from all over the country to meet and discuss issues that affect each of our growing and developing cities. One of the high points of the conference for me was yesterday, when I was invited to a private meeting with Senator Barack Obama before he spoke to the entire group.

At my meeting with the presumptive nominee, we had a long talk about the importance of local community strength and how a strong partnership among federal, state and local governments is crucial for the development of those communities.  We talked about how the presidential election is shaping up and how hard Connecticut Democrats are working and will continue to work to get him elected. Finally, we discussed the need to end the war, bring home our sons and daughters, and focus on solving the pressing issues here at home while working to rebuild our global leadership status.

Later on during his speech to the conference, Senator Obama, who received a now familiar rock star reception, was interrupted by numerous standing ovations during the course of his inspiring speech.  Obama got the loudest response from the crowd when he made it clear that the nation’s cities are not part of the problem, but rather, part of the solution. He promised that if elected, he would create a direct report to the president for urban issues so that city leaders could have a direct pipeline into the White House. He again made a clear call for ending the Iraq War; putting an end the bloodshed and the 10 billion dollars we spend a month to fund it.  Freeing up those resources, Obama noted, would allow us to focus instead on fighting crime, dealing with rising cost of gas and food, and finding solutions for affordable housing.

Once again, Obama stole the show and his speech was extremely well received by the audience. I must say though, the best part of the whole thing was when Senator Obama publicly called out our own Stamford, CT as a shining example of a community that works and leads the nation in best practices!  The unique opportunity to meet with Barack Obama only strengthened my confidence in his leadership and admiration of his candidacy, of which I am proud to support.

You can watch a short clip of the Senator’s speech here.

A Call for Help

By COLIN WILSON-MURPHY

Over the last two weeks, the US Midwest has experienced a spell of torrential rains resulting in horrific flooding and severe farmland damage. As a result, our national economy will continue to face a strong wave of food inflation, as two million acres of soybeans and over one million acres of corn have been destroyed.  

Due to the Midwest supply constraint, coupled with the fact that the US is the world’s largest corn exporter (accounting for 70% of global trade) and the second largest exporter of soybean (accounting for 40% of global trade), both crops jumped to record highs this week.  According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, meat prices have also increased by almost 15% in the past six months, partly due to the rising cost of corn and soybeans. 

Today roughly 300 miles of the Mississippi River are closed to commercial traffic, and 83 of Iowa’s 99 counties have been declared disaster areas. In this troubled time, our neighbors in the Midwest need our help.  Please consider making a pledge to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund at 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish) or by visiting www.redcross.org.

The Green Delegate Challenge

By DAN MALLOY

In August, I will be going to Denver, Colorado as one of the 60 selected delegates to represent Connecticut at the Democratic National Convention. As Democrats from across the nation prepare for our national convention, there are many important issues being debated within our party; issues that matter deeply to us and that will form the backbone of our nominee’s campaign for President.

One of those crucial topics, of course, is the environment.  We all understand how our dependence on non-renewable energy sources puts a strain on our wallets and on the condition of our planet.  We can reduce that strain either by creating less pollution, or by offsetting the carbon pollution that we undoubtedly generate through everyday activities or traveling long distances. Specifically, I have asked each of my fellow delegates to join me in the “Green Delegate Challenge,” a new party initiative challenging delegations to join together and commit to offsetting their carbon footprint at the convention.  As you may remember from the JJB Dinner, carbon offsetting requires you to calculate the amount of carbon pollution you generate from traveling to and attending the convention, convert that into a dollar amount, and invest that money in clean energy initiatives.

I know that my fellow delegates and superdelegates share my interest in doing everything we can to make our planet greener, and this challenge is a great way to show how much we care. If every delegate from Connecticut participates in this challenge, we will join California and Vermont as the only states that have full participation.  Hopefully, our environmental efforts at the convention and at home will set an example that shows the entire country what Connecticut is made of!

Debt Doldrums

By COLIN WILSON-MURPHY

After the S&P 500 Index lost more than 9% from January 1st through the first two weeks of June 2008, it is no surprise to many Connecticut residents that as the US economy continues to fight off a full blown recession, many Americans are facing increasing amounts of personal debt.

Connecticut capital constrained companies and individuals need to fully anticipate a further slowdown in the US economy and refrain from adding additional debt.  While many Connecticut residents admit they are living beyond their means, mainly because of misuse of credit, meaningful changes won’t happen overnight.  Only by educating oneself on the dangers of debt will Americans avoid the many financial pitfalls that arise when leverage is abused.

The US government provides, among other things, a great introductory program on financial planning, budgeting, taxes, home ownership, and credit as well as a curriculum for teaching kids “Money Math: Lessons for Life”.  In addition, the nonprofit foundation, National Endowment for Financial Education offers a wealth of practical information, which includes a free seven-unit high school planning program that incorporates games, case studies and interactive exercises.  The ultimate goal of these organizations is to ensure that American’s know how to become – and to stay – financially secure.

We are in the midst of some tough economic times and the deleveraging process by its very nature will take some time. The silver lining is that through education, we can all gain strength, weather the storm, and ultimately emerge from the downturn having sidestepped a great deal of pain.

Colin Wilson-Murphy, a relatively new resident of Connecticut, is a private equity investment professional at a local capital management firm.  Prior to relocating to Stamford in 2006, Colin lived in Boston where he worked as an investment banking analyst, volunteered for several local campaigns, and coached ice hockey camps.  Colin received his B.A. in Political Science from Trinity College in Hartford and we are proud to welcome him as a new blogger on DanMalloy.com.

Brain Drain, Take II

By ARIELLE REICH

The brain drain problem that Brian wrote about on Friday has been getting a lot of press attention across the state.  The severe economic repercussions of the brain drain most directly affects the future of the younger generation in Connecticut, and it is our duty to do something about it!  If you are interested in hearing more about the issue, please attend tonight’s “Policy Forum on CT’s Brain Drain” hosted by the Connecticut Young Democrats.

The forum, beginning at 6:30 in Hartford, will include representatives from the legislature and business and education communities to discuss the full scope of the problem and what can be done to mitigate it.

Click here for the full list of speakers and address of the forum. It should be an informative and interesting event, and I hope to see you there!

Deva Ju All Over Again

By BRIAN DURAND

The Stamford Advocate’s business page yesterday reports on Connecticut’s growing “brain drain” in an article about Christopher Bruhl, president and chief executive officer of The Business Council of Fairfield County:

We (Connecticut) are leading the nation in exporting our 25- to 34-year-olds. The workforce has a growing number of under-educated people,” said Bruhl…

…Bruhl referred to 2004 figures showing that the county experienced a 21 percent decrease in the 25- to 34-year-old population from 141,437 in 1990 to 111,849 in 2004.

Connecticut had a 30 percent decrease in the samehi demographic during the same period, placing the state last in U.S. rankings, falling from 583,882 to 409,393.

We have, of course, all heard this before.  The article uses 2004 figures, and the paper reported on the trend as far back as then.  The fact is, most residents don’t need the media to tell us about the phenomenon.  As a Connecticut native and UConn graduate I’m amazed at how, with each passing year, I have more and more friends that require a plane ticket to visit.

I’m not knocking the media for reporting on the same problem — of course it’s critical that they continue to shed light on it.  The larger point is that not much has changed in the last three years; we’re still framing the situation exactly the same way.

There is mention of some of the root causes of the drain towards the end of his piece, listing transportation, education and health care.  I would add property tax reform to that list, as well the topic of Mayor Malloy’s post about affordable housing.  All of these issues impact and propagate one another, and until we have a governor that is willing to explain that hard truth to the state and then begin taking systematic and gradual steps to address each problem, nothing is going to change.

Tim Russert

By DAN MALLOY

Along with the rest of the team at DanMalloy.com, I join the blogging community in mourning the sudden and untimely passing of Tim Russert.  His contributions as a journalist and political commentator will be sorely missed.  It will be hard to imagine the upcoming election season without his insight, honesty, and astute journalism skills.

 My thought and prayers are with his family and many friends and colleagues.