Investigative journalist David Sirota exposes Connecticut Governor Malloy’s protection of insurance giants. He signed a bill to shield them from Freedom of Information requests.
Is it because the giants of the industry are based in his state? Or was it their $360,000 contribution to the Democratic Governors’ Association, which Malloy chairs?
Sirota writes:
“Amid a burgeoning conflict-of-interest scandal over Connecticut’s national role regulating Cigna and Anthem’s proposed merger, International Business Times has just published a new report on Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy quietly signing insurance-industry-backed legislation exempting insurance industry information from his state’s open records law. Weeks after the Malloy-backed bill was introduced in the legislature, Anthem and Cigna pumped $360,000 into the Malloy-run Democratic Governors Association. The bill was later attached to unrelated legislation, passed in the middle of the night in the waning hours of Connecticut’s legislative session, and then signed by Malloy with no public statement.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Malloy is one of many politicians whose party affiliation is irrelevant. The party identification letter after his name is meaningless. The reality is that he and very many others are members of the corporate suit party. Any policy that benefits the constituents of these politicians is either a coincidence or camouflage.
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So now that “we the people” know, what can we the people do about it? This b.s. midnight back door dealing slipped in to other bills signed in the middle of the night has to stop. Will the people of Connecticut demand justice?
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Why is the GOP , at this moment undoing protections that help us find honest advisors for our retirement? CORRUPT TO THEIR TOES? IN THE POCKETS OF the oligarchs who paid to get him elected?
“.A definitive event in the plutocratic spending binge: The Koch brothers and 450 of their most affluent allies are auditioning a select group of Republican candidates, who are vying to get a share of the whopping $889 million pledged by these donors for the presidential race” “For that kind of money, you could buy yourself a president,” said Mark McKinnon, a Republican strategist, who is wary of the influence of big money in politics.
Even easier to buy a state governor.!
“Oh, right. That’s the point.American politics has never seen such a sluiceway of unlimited special-interest money — much of it anonymous corporate money loosed by a misguided Supreme Court — put to shopping for and burnishing the Republican candidate-most-likely.
And here is how our Congress works to hurt the people and reward the finance industry that already robbed the national wealth: Even as the newspapers are filled with stories of defrauded students and stiffed contractors, Republicans in Congress are going all-out in efforts to repeal the so-called “fiduciary rule” for retirement advisers, a new rule requiring that they serve the interests of their clients, and not receive kickbacks for steering them into bad investments. Paul Ryan, the speaker of the House, has even made repealing that rule part of his “anti-poverty plan.” So the G.O.P. is in effect defending the right of the financial industry to mislead its customers, which makes it hard to attack the likes of Donald Trump.
I have a whole file on the endemic corruption that goes right to the top…for example” WHY, Shell Oil’s abysmal record in the Arctic, did President Obama approve the company’s drilling plans for the Chukchi Sea off the coast of Alaska — even though Obama’s own Interior Department puts the odds of a large spill at 75 percent. “Already, the idea that our government would take such an appalling risk is inspiring outraged citizens to rise up and say ‘no way!'” says Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune. It’s not too late to change the odds.”
how about this one: Trillion dollar fiasco.
Thomas Friedman puts it this way: ” When the people governing us become this cynical, polarized and dysfunctional, it surely seeps down into the bureaucracy. As above, so below.” Friedman was talking about the secret service, but he might as well be talking about schools when he says :”You see too many self-interested, self-indulgent politicians who are only there to grandstand, spend most of their time raising money to win elections and then, when you, as a federal worker” {or a teacher} “make a mistake, they are the first to rush to the microphones with feigned concern to investigate your competence — as long as the cameras are running. ”
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I suspect that someone like the ACLU will challenge this law and the legal process will eventually find it unconstitutional at the state or federal level, but how long will that take while those insurance companies take advantage of this legal shelter to commit fraud and to rake in as much money as possible illegally?
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Connecticut’s education Commissioner Dianne Wentzell just made an interesting call.
There’s a law on the books in Connecticut that enables any parent or citizen to file a complaint against any public school. Given Wentzell’s background in the charter school industry, you would think that she adheres to the “charter schools are public schools” claim. Indeed, you would also believe that Wentzell believes that charter schools should be just as accountable as traditional public schools, and thus, welcome any such a complaint.
Well, you’d be wrong.
Someone filed a complaint with her office against one of the schools in the Achievement First charter school chain, providing documentation that the operators of this school — in clear violation of state law — have a teaching staff comprised of 47% of teachers who are not certified to teach in Connecticut, or in any other state.
Had that happened at a traditional public school, the law would have applied, and Wentzell could have entertained that complaint, then sicced the hounds of Hell on the school leaders responsible.
However, since it’s a charter school, Wentzell rejected the complaint because she believes that the law allowing for parents and citizens to file a complaint against
Connecticut schools as Wenzell claims that the law ONLY APPLIES TO TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS, NOT CHARTERS.
That’s not actually what the law says, but merely Wentzell’s highly dubious interpretation of that law. Making such a unilateral determination reveals her true agenda.
Once again, citizens and parents cannot file any complaints against charter schools like “Achievement First”. The law created for that purpose doesn’t apply to charter schools.
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Wendy-Lecker-A-void-in-oversight-of-charter-7988759.php
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WENDY LECKER:
“One would think that after the scandals involving Connecticut’s two large charter chains, Jumoke and Achievement First, Connecticut’s education officials would finally exert some meaningful oversight over Connecticut’s charter sector.
“One would be wrong.
“This week the Connecticut Mirror reported that Education Commissioner Dianna Wentzell dismissed a complaint against Bridgeport Achievement First, for using uncertified teachers for 47 percent of its staff, in violation of Connecticut statute. Wentzell unilaterally decided that the law allowing complaints against public schools does not apply to charters; despite the fact that charters receive more than $120 million each year in public taxpayer dollars.”
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Can anybody still deny that the game is rigged for charters and against traditional public schools?
Can anybody still make the claim that charter schools are “public schools”
without lying?
It’s pretty breathtaking.
In Connecticut, charter operators can staff a school with 47% uncertified teachers — in total violation of state law — but when a complaint is made (based on another law specifically enacted for the purpose of holding schools accountable) … THERE EXISTS NO GOVERNMENT BODY THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HOLDING THE CHARTER OPERATORS ACCOUNTABLE … that is, according that state’s Education Commissioner.
In essence, Connecticut’s charter schools essentially operate no differently than actual private schools — except they’re funded with taxpayer money, about $110 million worth, according to Wendy Lecker.
In her denial letter, Wentzell did concede that the only possible opportunity for such accountability is during the “renewal” process… and that’s only a possible opportunity, no guarantee that any investigation or action will occur, as whether or not to authorize such an investigation would be at the State Board’s discretion
Here’s the letter from Connecticut Ed. Commissioner Dianna Wentzell dismissing
the complaint, and the tortured logic that she employs:
Click to access Bridgeport-Denied.pdf
Here’s the article about this:
Think about that.
If Commisioner Wentzell’s interpretation of the law is indeed valid, then theoretically charter operators in Connecticut can get away with anything.
Once again, a charter school can — in total violation of state law — be staffed with school 47% uncertified teachers, and, if a complaint is filed, no government body has the power to hold the charter school’s operators accountable… according to Wentzell.
Well, hey, why stop there? If that’s the case, then theoretically, charter operators can staff a school with teachers who are 100% high school dropouts, or 100% ex-cons… the possibilities are limitless.
According to Wentzell’s leter, it’s only when the charter is up for renewal is there any chance — and it’s only a chance — that the charter will be held accountable.
Someone needs to sue.
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As usual, Jack, excellent commentary.
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Sounds like he is selling his signature…
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