Property taxes are rising, taking a bigger bite out of household incomes than ever before, and local public spending is out of control—right? Well, maybe…at least that seems to be the view of many Connecticut taxpayers. But is the perception accurate? The only way to really tell is to take a...

Economists have long recognized the role of education in promoting economic growth and wellbeing. As the U.S. and other economies have become more “knowledge-based,” the links between education and economic activity have become even stronger. Once regarded as intellectual islands with...

Mention “manufacturing” and images from a bygone era, of sprawling brick factories, belching smokestacks, clanking machines, and earnest workers, might come to mind. But manufacturing is more than just a vestige of Connecticut’s economic past. Our new report card of manufacturing activity...

Connecticut has long underfunded its Education Cost Sharing (ECS) program, designed to help equalize educational opportunities across the state. Closing the $1 billion gap won’t be easy, but it is a constitutional and educational imperative. And the state has options—some are fairly...

Demographic changes may be creating a long-run imbalance between housing supply and demand in Connecticut. The “baby boom” generation demanded an unprecedented number of large, single-family homes. But now the Boomers are looking to downsize and the result could soon be a surplus of large...

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Connecticut GDP has declined for two consecutive years, and the state’s Legislative Office of Fiscal Analysis forecasts shortfalls in tax revenues of over $1 billion per year in fiscal years 2016, 2017 and 2018. We can no longer cross our fingers and hope that the economy will somehow improve...

Connecticut public officials periodically worry about the state’s migration patterns. After all, labor is the key ingredient in most productive activities, and a sustained population loss may signal a stagnant economy, or at least one that is falling behind its competitors.

H aving worked on the front lines of economic development in Connecticut for 20 years, I can vouch for the challenge of marketing our state to business executives. That’s because Connecticut today lacks a compelling value proposition. Without one, it’s tough to differentiate our state from...