Hartford has the highest poverty rate in the nation at 33.5%. The unemployment rate is 14 % with some areas of the urban community reaching 50%. The poor pay more than the rich in Connecticut’s present tax structure. The safety net for single mothers in this state has been shredded by Clinton era reforms. Qualified job applicants who are in debt due to circumstances such as medical bills or prolonged unemployment are being rejected by employers due to credit checks. The Community Party will host a meeting to discuss these issues and develop a strategy of action Saturday, March 20th 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at City Hall Council Chambers, 550 Main Street in Hartford. Call 860-805-9290 or visit my Facebook page for more information.

A group of students from the Freshman Academy at Hartford Public High School created this video in response to the national call to defend education on March 4.

Hartford has the highest poverty rate in the nation at 33.5 %. The city’s unemployment rate is 14%. That figure is as high as 50% in some areas of the urban community. Read the full story

Got Equality? Not if you’re 51% of the population.

The new campaign slogan for the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women certainly gets right to the point. And if anyone is unconvinced of their assertion, then I wish you could have attended Women’s Day at the Capital on Tuesday.  Invited speakers and the public submitted testimony on Tuesday and called attention to many issues like health care, domestic violence and protection, education, employment, women in politics, and childcare.  Two high school students from the Young Women’s Leadership Program essay contest also read their winning essays which focused on breaking the cycle of domestic violence and the need for more women in leadership positions. Read the full story

The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness is urging community residents and activists to attend a public hearing on Thursday, February 11th (time TBA) at the Legislative Office Building, 300 Capitol Avenue in Hartford. According to CCEH, Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s proposed budget includes a deplorable $ 2.4 million cut of funding allocated by the General Assembly in last year’s bi-annual budget, which is approximately 5% of the housing / homeless line item under Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS). Read the full story

February 9th is fast approaching and the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women is looking for oral or written testimony from the public on issues that are important to women.

Any interested individuals may testify by submitting oral and/or written or electronic testimony. For oral testimony, sign-up will begin at 9:00 a.m in the same room as the hearing. Oral testimony should be no longer than 3 minutes. Read the full story

Concerned residents rallied at Hartford City Hall in support of a no-freeze shelter downtown and for additional support to combat homelessness.

Click here to download the MP3

BREAKING NEWS: There are street gangs in Hartford. An internal police memo that was obtained by the Hartford Courant describes the gang activity in the city as an “infestation”, citing a total of 138 crews and 4,000 members, 800 of whom are under the age of 17. A large portion of the gangs are said to be affiliated with cliques such as the Bloods, Crips, Latin Kings & Los Solidos, all national organizations. After parents, city officials & educators expressed their concern, the cops said, “Oh, that number isn’t really accurate – groups that don’t meet the Department of Justice definition of gangs were included in the totals”. The tone deaf city school Superintendent Steven Adamowski’s reaction was “Gangs? What Gangs? We don’t have gangs in our schools!” It was amusing yet sad to watch Adamowski change course after parents confirmed during an October 21 community meeting that yes, gangs are a fact of life in Hartford schools. Former Weaver High principal Paul Stringer weighed in, stating that Adamowski was well aware of the presence of gangs in city schools. Read the full story

Governor M. Jodi Rell claims that her proposal to close Cedarcrest Hospital, High Meadows and cut numerous other state funded mental health and addiction services is designed to improve client care. Individuals working on the front lines, consumers of these services and their loved ones see money as the motive. Read the full story

While the budget saga at the State Capitol appears to be nearing a conclusion, the fight to save treatment services in Connecticut is heating up. Community residents, activists and state employees gathered at Blue Hills Substance Abuse Services in Hartford on Wednesday to protest Governor M. Jodi Rell’s proposal to eliminate detox beds at the facility. Read the full story