Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to the show, Chris Powell, who's been cranking
out those columns like crazy. We've really got to set
a date in stone that we just have you on
like once a month, Chris, because just great stuff, great
work you've been doing for a good long time around
for Connecticut residents. I would love to have you as
a regular guest on the show.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Well, I'm usually running my mouth for something and just
as soon run it for you.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Yeah. Well to that end too, you know, the little
tagline at the end of your columns says Chris Powell
has written about Connecticut government and politics for many years.
How long have you lived? Called Connecticut home? Chris?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Since nineteen fifty five, five years old?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Yeah, and I knew it was, you know. And I'm
a lifer myself, you know, fifty eight years born and
raised here in Connecticut. And I just I what is
your take on Connecticut as it stands today? When I
was a kid, every movie I watched, every TV show
I watched, the reference was, oh, and then we'll retire
(01:06):
to Connecticut. And you know that would get your attention
as a kid, because you know they're mentioning the state
I live. Everybody wants to retire here now today, Right,
That's what I wanted to say, you know, And I'm
banging my head against a wall here, especially when the
governor speaks and talks about how things are great and
(01:26):
maybe never been better, and all we're doing is getting stronger.
I really feel like it's going in the other direction.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
The state has a lot of virtues. Its location is
one of them. Climate is pretty good three out of
four seasons. It's, you know, a beautiful country. It's got
central hills and meadows and valleys and rivers. It's a
(01:53):
you know, a place set where you can be comfortable.
Just well, maybe it's my job to be to say
satisfied with the government. I mean, if the government was perfect,
I guess I wouldn't have anything to do.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Yeah, but affordability is just it's out the window, and
I don't think we'll ever get back to you know.
I've got two kids who are you know, one of
them just graduated college last spring looking for work, and
they're not going to find any work here in Connecticut.
And they're not going to be able to afford to
live in Connecticut if they do find work.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Yeah, it's it's a big problem. We're it's setting our ways.
I mean, part of it is is housing. We we
have so much local control of housing. Nobody wants new
new neighbors. But you know, part of it, part of
the problem of the resistance to housing VENNY is people
moved to the suburbs in large part because the cities
(02:49):
were turned by state government into poverty factories and concentration
camps for the poor. And when people, you know, hear
affordable housing, they they you know, imagine slums following them
out in to the to the suburbs. You know, fatherless kids,
all the pathologies of fatherlessness. And if if people think
(03:13):
that's going to follow them there, they're going to be
against against new housing. I think if we could solve
the poverty problem, or at least make some progress on it,
it would be less resistance to housing. But I do
think there is a solution of the housing problem. I mean,
we've got tons of abandoned and vacant property in the
(03:36):
in the cities. You know, factories that are empty, We've
got lots of office buildings and shopping centers that are
are empty or mostly empty. I don't know why we
couldn't have a Singapore type solution here. In can I
think it. In Singapore, the the government obtains properties for
(03:57):
housing and contracts they construct out to builders U and
even a lot lets people use some of their retirement
savings money for for for down payments in Singapore and
nearly everybody's got his own apartment. Education achievement is higher
(04:17):
than the United States. There's no there's no poverty, and
the government is basically in charge of of locating housing
and make sure making sure it gets they gets built.
And I don't know why that would bother people here
in Connecticut if the government was targeting the you know,
the vacant factory properties, the the the empty shopping centers,
(04:40):
the uh, the slum tenements that could be taken down there.
They're starting to take this approach in city government and Hartford,
and I'm hopeful about that. But you know, if we,
if we, if we concentrated on on renovating the places
that have dilapidated property and and didn't threaten more tearing
(05:04):
up the countryside with suburban sprawling, I think that might
have more prospects than you know, what we're doing now.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
You know, it's interesting listening to you say all that.
I was reminded of a factory in New Haven. That's
some years ago. They did just that. I don't know
if it was Chavony. I'm sure you remember the age
of Chavoni. He was gentrifying every corridor, you knows, so
many corners, at least in a greater New Haven. Does
that name ring about to you, Josh, Yes, so did I.
(05:36):
And you know, a lot of his projects were in
vain in my opinion. And I became good friends with
his daughter for a short time too, So I'm not
saying that that's you know, that's the nature of that beast.
But he turned over one vacant factory in New Haven,
you know, gutted it, spruced it up, made it a
(05:58):
high priced you know, you know, let's let's make believe
we're in Williamsburg, you know, And because there's a lot
of that, and the price tag was too high. And
I think that building I knew, I knew a guy
who moved in. There was a beautiful condo I guess
you would call it, I don't know, or apartment. I
don't quite recall those right near Long Wharf, and for
(06:19):
a minute it was happening. I don't know that it
ever was fully taken like there were always vacancies and
it only lasted for a few years, and I think
it's back to being empty now.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Well I don't I don't know why new Haven should
be empty. I mean one thing, I respect Mary Elliker
for as he wants to build a lot more housing
in New Haven. My point is, I have no problem
with gentrifying the cities, the cities of poverty factories. The
cities are concentration camps for the poor. You know, we
(06:53):
don't need more poor people in the cities. But we've
got to bring the cost of housing down so that
you know, poor people can have a place to live everywhere.
And you can do that only by increasing supply. And
there ought to be an urgent campaign to increase supply,
I think, in large part by getting control of the
(07:16):
dilapidated properties and having a state agency to get this
control and immediately contract the land and the project out
the private developers and take it away from them if
they haven't gotten the housing up, you know, in a
set time. The only way, the only way to solve
(07:38):
this problem is more more supply, and it's got to
be coordinated from the top. It can't be allowed to
be obstructed by exclusive zoning. There's some towns in the
state that really don't permit multi family housing. Well, you know,
(07:59):
even you know, good middle class are aspiring to be
middle class people in Connecticut. They can't afford property owners
right away. I mean, we've got to have an increased
supply and state's got to take the lead on that.
I disagree with the governor on towns taking the lead.
They're not going to take the lead. And the system
(08:22):
is too fragmented when when the towns are taking the lead.
But if you had a state housing development agency that
was concentrating on the vacant, dilapidated project properties, which are
mainly mainly in the cities in the inner suburbs, I
don't think there would be too much objection. You know,
(08:42):
if what you're putting in is better than what you're
taking out, I think even the neighbors, you know, might
be a little more understanding.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
And again rom with Chris Powell, whose latest column came
out yesterday and the tail end of it is Trump
and Lamont fake it on, which is really resonated with me.
I really enjoyed this and come right out and say
President Trump keeps saying the national economy is great, but
most people don't think so. I'm one of them. I don't.
(09:11):
I've never struggled more than I am right now. Groceries
have never cost more repairs on my automobile. And I've
even got people, you know, I'm even getting help here
and there. You know, I've got connections just every somebody's
hand is out everywhere I turn. My utilities are through
the roof. Just being a homeowner in Connecticut is almost insurmountable.
(09:35):
And yet I've been one for thirty years. So I'm
trying to do the math of that. You go on
to say, Governor Lamont says Connecticut's economy is great, but
most people don't think so either, And yet he's going
to deliver a State of the State where he says
it's great and only getting better. Is it delusion or
is he just on the campaign trail?
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Chris, Well, you know, he's an in company. He's in
office like the president. He wants to people to think
that he's doing a great job. And you know, I
suspect the governor is doing a better job than almost
any other Democrat in Connecticut would do. But no, the
Connecticut's economy is ranking very much towards to the bottom nationally.
(10:17):
The nation gain jobs last year, Connecticut lost jobs last year.
The Connecticut would be losing population relative to the rest
of the country if it wasn't facilitating so much illegal immigration.
Connecticut's economy is really is actually pretty sick. But I
(10:38):
think a lot of people would prefer to be pretty
sick then to you know, have the disruption of growth.
I mean, a lot of people got what they have
and they don't care that. You know, other people don't
have so many things and they don't want growth. I
mean growth is controversial in Connecticut and in Florida and
(10:59):
tech other states that are growing, it's not so controversial.
I think we're pretty much stuck in our ways here.
And as long as you know, the Democrats are are
running the government class and profiting from the government class,
I don't think they're very much caring about what's happening
(11:19):
in the real world in Connecticut as long as they're
still on the payroll.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Yeah, I agree. Do you think any of these Republicans
that have thrown their hat in the ring and he
has a solid do you think he's got a run
ahead of him as far as the election is concerned.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
You know, I would like so, I mean, I'd like
to have competitive politics back in the state. But I
think it's very unlikely. I mean, I find the difficulty
in my own you know, column writing, if I if
I write with as I usually do about about public
policy and the public policy I'm navigating in this contrary
(11:56):
to the public policy we have. Now. The response I
usually get from people is not a response to a policy.
It's just Trump Trump Trump, Trump, Trump, Yes. And I
think that's what's going to be the campaign. I think
the whoever the Republican nominee is, I will make some
some good points and they will immediately be shot down
(12:20):
by Trump Trump Trump Trump Trump.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Ye say that all the time on here. I feel
like you're validating say that all the time on here.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Well, it's an evasion. I mean, you know, Trump is
you know, really not the response to the housing shortage
in Connecticut. It's not the response to the worstening poverty
in Connecticut. Connecticut. Really, the nation really have had worstening poverty,
poverty for many, many years, long before Donald Trump even
(12:53):
thought about running for president. But Trump is the Democrats
excuse for all their failures. Trump is the best thing
that ever happened to the Democratic Party here in Connecticut.
It's an exemption from having to take responsibility for anything
Welcome back to the show, Chris Powell, who's been cranking
out those columns like crazy. We've really got to set
a date in stone that we just have you on
like once a month, Chris, because just great stuff, great
work you've been doing for a good long time around
for Connecticut residents. I would love to have you as
a regular guest on the show.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Well, I'm usually running my mouth for something and just
as soon run it for you.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Yeah. Well to that end too, you know, the little
tagline at the end of your columns says Chris Powell
has written about Connecticut government and politics for many years.
How long have you lived? Called Connecticut home? Chris?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Since nineteen fifty five, five years old?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Yeah, and I knew it was, you know. And I'm
a lifer myself, you know, fifty eight years born and
raised here in Connecticut. And I just I what is
your take on Connecticut as it stands today? When I
was a kid, every movie I watched, every TV show
I watched, the reference was, oh, and then we'll retire
(01:06):
to Connecticut. And you know that would get your attention
as a kid, because you know they're mentioning the state
I live. Everybody wants to retire here now today, Right,
That's what I wanted to say, you know, And I'm
banging my head against a wall here, especially when the
governor speaks and talks about how things are great and
(01:26):
maybe never been better, and all we're doing is getting stronger.
I really feel like it's going in the other direction.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
The state has a lot of virtues. Its location is
one of them. Climate is pretty good three out of
four seasons. It's, you know, a beautiful country. It's got
central hills and meadows and valleys and rivers. It's a
(01:53):
you know, a place set where you can be comfortable.
Just well, maybe it's my job to be to say
satisfied with the government. I mean, if the government was perfect,
I guess I wouldn't have anything to do.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Yeah, but affordability is just it's out the window, and
I don't think we'll ever get back to you know.
I've got two kids who are you know, one of
them just graduated college last spring looking for work, and
they're not going to find any work here in Connecticut.
And they're not going to be able to afford to
live in Connecticut if they do find work.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Yeah, it's it's a big problem. We're it's setting our ways.
I mean, part of it is is housing. We we
have so much local control of housing. Nobody wants new
new neighbors. But you know, part of it, part of
the problem of the resistance to housing VENNY is people
moved to the suburbs in large part because the cities
(02:49):
were turned by state government into poverty factories and concentration
camps for the poor. And when people, you know, hear
affordable housing, they they you know, imagine slums following them
out in to the to the suburbs. You know, fatherless kids,
all the pathologies of fatherlessness. And if if people think
(03:13):
that's going to follow them there, they're going to be
against against new housing. I think if we could solve
the poverty problem, or at least make some progress on it,
it would be less resistance to housing. But I do
think there is a solution of the housing problem. I mean,
we've got tons of abandoned and vacant property in the
(03:36):
in the cities. You know, factories that are empty, We've
got lots of office buildings and shopping centers that are
are empty or mostly empty. I don't know why we
couldn't have a Singapore type solution here. In can I
think it. In Singapore, the the government obtains properties for
(03:57):
housing and contracts they construct out to builders U and
even a lot lets people use some of their retirement
savings money for for for down payments in Singapore and
nearly everybody's got his own apartment. Education achievement is higher
(04:17):
than the United States. There's no there's no poverty, and
the government is basically in charge of of locating housing
and make sure making sure it gets they gets built.
And I don't know why that would bother people here
in Connecticut if the government was targeting the you know,
the vacant factory properties, the the the empty shopping centers,
(04:40):
the uh, the slum tenements that could be taken down there.
They're starting to take this approach in city government and Hartford,
and I'm hopeful about that. But you know, if we,
if we, if we concentrated on on renovating the places
that have dilapidated property and and didn't threaten more tearing
(05:04):
up the countryside with suburban sprawling, I think that might
have more prospects than you know, what we're doing now.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
You know, it's interesting listening to you say all that.
I was reminded of a factory in New Haven. That's
some years ago. They did just that. I don't know
if it was Chavony. I'm sure you remember the age
of Chavoni. He was gentrifying every corridor, you knows, so
many corners, at least in a greater New Haven. Does
that name ring about to you, Josh, Yes, so did I.
(05:36):
And you know, a lot of his projects were in
vain in my opinion. And I became good friends with
his daughter for a short time too, So I'm not
saying that that's you know, that's the nature of that beast.
But he turned over one vacant factory in New Haven,
you know, gutted it, spruced it up, made it a
(05:58):
high priced you know, you know, let's let's make believe
we're in Williamsburg, you know, And because there's a lot
of that, and the price tag was too high. And
I think that building I knew, I knew a guy
who moved in. There was a beautiful condo I guess
you would call it, I don't know, or apartment. I
don't quite recall those right near Long Wharf, and for
(06:19):
a minute it was happening. I don't know that it
ever was fully taken like there were always vacancies and
it only lasted for a few years, and I think
it's back to being empty now.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Well I don't I don't know why new Haven should
be empty. I mean one thing, I respect Mary Elliker
for as he wants to build a lot more housing
in New Haven. My point is, I have no problem
with gentrifying the cities, the cities of poverty factories. The
cities are concentration camps for the poor. You know, we
(06:53):
don't need more poor people in the cities. But we've
got to bring the cost of housing down so that
you know, poor people can have a place to live everywhere.
And you can do that only by increasing supply. And
there ought to be an urgent campaign to increase supply,
I think, in large part by getting control of the
(07:16):
dilapidated properties and having a state agency to get this
control and immediately contract the land and the project out
the private developers and take it away from them if
they haven't gotten the housing up, you know, in a
set time. The only way, the only way to solve
(07:38):
this problem is more more supply, and it's got to
be coordinated from the top. It can't be allowed to
be obstructed by exclusive zoning. There's some towns in the
state that really don't permit multi family housing. Well, you know,
(07:59):
even you know, good middle class are aspiring to be
middle class people in Connecticut. They can't afford property owners
right away. I mean, we've got to have an increased
supply and state's got to take the lead on that.
I disagree with the governor on towns taking the lead.
They're not going to take the lead. And the system
(08:22):
is too fragmented when when the towns are taking the lead.
But if you had a state housing development agency that
was concentrating on the vacant, dilapidated project properties, which are
mainly mainly in the cities in the inner suburbs, I
don't think there would be too much objection. You know,
(08:42):
if what you're putting in is better than what you're
taking out, I think even the neighbors, you know, might
be a little more understanding.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
And again rom with Chris Powell, whose latest column came
out yesterday and the tail end of it is Trump
and Lamont fake it on, which is really resonated with me.
I really enjoyed this and come right out and say
President Trump keeps saying the national economy is great, but
most people don't think so. I'm one of them. I don't.
(09:11):
I've never struggled more than I am right now. Groceries
have never cost more repairs on my automobile. And I've
even got people, you know, I'm even getting help here
and there. You know, I've got connections just every somebody's
hand is out everywhere I turn. My utilities are through
the roof. Just being a homeowner in Connecticut is almost insurmountable.
(09:35):
And yet I've been one for thirty years. So I'm
trying to do the math of that. You go on
to say, Governor Lamont says Connecticut's economy is great, but
most people don't think so either, And yet he's going
to deliver a State of the State where he says
it's great and only getting better. Is it delusion or
is he just on the campaign trail?
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Chris, Well, you know, he's an in company. He's in
office like the president. He wants to people to think
that he's doing a great job. And you know, I
suspect the governor is doing a better job than almost
any other Democrat in Connecticut would do. But no, the
Connecticut's economy is ranking very much towards to the bottom nationally.
(10:17):
The nation gain jobs last year, Connecticut lost jobs last year.
The Connecticut would be losing population relative to the rest
of the country if it wasn't facilitating so much illegal immigration.
Connecticut's economy is really is actually pretty sick. But I
(10:38):
think a lot of people would prefer to be pretty
sick then to you know, have the disruption of growth.
I mean, a lot of people got what they have
and they don't care that. You know, other people don't
have so many things and they don't want growth. I
mean growth is controversial in Connecticut and in Florida and
(10:59):
tech other states that are growing, it's not so controversial.
I think we're pretty much stuck in our ways here.
And as long as you know, the Democrats are are
running the government class and profiting from the government class,
I don't think they're very much caring about what's happening
(11:19):
in the real world in Connecticut as long as they're
still on the payroll.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Yeah, I agree. Do you think any of these Republicans
that have thrown their hat in the ring and he
has a solid do you think he's got a run
ahead of him as far as the election is concerned.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
You know, I would like so, I mean, I'd like
to have competitive politics back in the state. But I
think it's very unlikely. I mean, I find the difficulty
in my own you know, column writing, if I if
I write with as I usually do about about public
policy and the public policy I'm navigating in this contrary
(11:56):
to the public policy we have. Now. The response I
usually get from people is not a response to a policy.
It's just Trump Trump Trump, Trump, Trump, Yes. And I
think that's what's going to be the campaign. I think
the whoever the Republican nominee is, I will make some
some good points and they will immediately be shot down
(12:20):
by Trump Trump Trump Trump Trump.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Ye say that all the time on here. I feel
like you're validating say that all the time on here.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Well, it's an evasion. I mean, you know, Trump is
you know, really not the response to the housing shortage
in Connecticut. It's not the response to the worstening poverty
in Connecticut. Connecticut. Really, the nation really have had worstening poverty,
poverty for many, many years, long before Donald Trump even
(12:53):
thought about running for president. But Trump is the Democrats
excuse for all their failures. Trump is the best thing
that ever happened to the Democratic Party here in Connecticut.
It's an exemption from having to take responsibility for anything
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