Connecticut
Flush With Cash, This Nonprofit Wants to Rewrite Connecticut’s Fiscal Rules
There’s a powerful, well-funded political machine operating in Connecticut — and it’s not coming from the state Capitol. It’s a private, tax-exempt nonprofit with deep ties to progressive academia, national advocacy movements, and left-leaning foundations. It’s called The Connecticut Project (TCP). With deep financial reserves and influence, this group is spending millions to reshape the state’s policies, politics, and future in its own image.
Through its 501(c)(3) nonprofit and 501(c)(4) political lobbying arm — The Connecticut Project Action Fund — TCP is funneling millions into advocacy groups to advance a broad progressive agenda.
The organization describes itself as a “social change organization” focused on overhauling the state’s economy, housing system, and public services.
Their goals may be well-intended, but they come with a high price tag — including expanded government-subsidized housing, universal pre-K, broader “financial safety net programs,” job subsidies, and so-called “wealth-building supports”
TCP wants the state’s spending priorities and policymaking to be steered by and for low-income and “asset-limited” households. That includes pushing for expanded access to healthcare, criminal justice reform, and “specific needs of immigrants.”
The group’s 2024 report lays out their plan.
They’re not just pushing policy — they’re running a statewide marketing campaign. TCP has poured money into billboards, glossy mailers, bus ads, and even grocery cart ads to push their message. They’re also hiring part-time foot soldiers at $25 an hour to knock on doors and rally support.
According to their most recent tax filings, TCP spent just over $9 million in Connecticut in 2023 while amassing a $22.7 million war chest. Nearly $6 million in grants went to groups like Husky 4 Immigrants, the Connecticut Tenants Union, and the Partnership for Strong Communities — all pushing policies like rent control, higher taxes, expanded public services, immigration reform, and efforts to dismantle state’s fiscal guardrails.
How they’re funded remains unclear. Donor privacy laws shield contributors on both sides of the aisle. But TCP isn’t just bankrolling activism — it’s shaping the policy agenda. Last year, the group partnered with Yale’s Tobin Center to release a study outlining how the state’s fiscal guardrails should be rewritten.
The report argues that the current guardrails — especially the volatility and spending cap — are too rigid and have put “billions of dollars of revenue out of reach.”
In a CT Mirror op-ed announcing the release of the paper, they warn that without changes, Connecticut is heading toward a “self-imposed budget cliff,” and that lawmakers will be forced to make “deep cuts to current services” despite projected surpluses.
Their solution is “redesigning the volatility cap” with a “dynamic” model based on a rolling average of past years, and adjusting the spending cap so it “keeps pace with Connecticut’s economic conditions.”
The volatility cap, enacted in 2017, was designed to prevent the state from using unpredictable sources of revenues — like capital gains taxes — to fund permanent programs. Instead, surplus revenue is directed toward the rainy-day fund and/or to pay down pension debt.
TCP’s goal isn’t just budget flexibility — it’s to make room for increased state spending on their priority projects.
The report was just the beginning. TCP is actively calling on lawmakers to weaken the guardrails.
In an April 2025 press release, the group responded to proposed federal cuts by urging lawmakers to suspend the rules entirely. “Working class and middle-class people are in a cost-of-living crisis,” said TCP’s Vice President of Advocacy Melvin Medina.
“If Connecticut doesn’t step up to responsibly adjust the fiscal rules, working people are going to literally pay the price,” Medina added. TCP also called for a budget that’s more “responsive,” urging lawmakers to use an emergency declaration to bypass the caps and unlock more spending on social programs.
Not Everyone is Convinced This is a Responsible Move
The Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) warns that the Tobin Center’s proposed “dynamic cap” could backfire — freeing up revenue in good years but setting the state up for shortfalls when markets take a downturn.
“These revenues remain volatile and can fluctuate up to 20% in any given year,” CBIA notes, pointing out that capital gains and pass-through entity taxes can drop sharply with little warning.
The Tobin Center assumes recent boom years are the “new normal,” but CBIA calls that a dangerous form of “recency bias where unusually strong recent performance (like the market gains of 2019-2024) may lead to overly optimistic projections.”
CBIA states that changing the cap now would come “at the expense of savings,” and highlights that “as a result of the contributions to the pensions system, Connecticut will save $737 million per year for the next 20 years.”
Public Opinion Echoes the Data
Connecticut voters overwhelmingly support the fiscal guardrails. A March 2025 poll conducted by Global Strategy Group (GSG) found that “voters are highly supportive of the fiscal guardrails,” and that support goes across party lines.
According to GSG’s findings “more than two-thirds of voters (69%) support the guardrails, including 65% of Democrats, 73% of Independents, and 73% of Republicans.”
Voters aren’t asking lawmakers to break the rules. They’re asking them to live within them.
The survey also found that once voters were told the state had “$900 million in additional spending room below the spending cap,” roughly three-in-four (76%) said that amount should be “enough money for the state to use without changing the guardrails.”
Even when opponents make their case, voters still want fiscal responsibility.
“Though hearing a statement from opponents of the guardrails does lower support somewhat, pro-guardrail messaging is highly effective and raises support back to baseline levels, above 80% support,” the study reported.
The study also notes that “the best reason to support the guardrails is the personal impact they have on Connecticut voters and the state’s fiscal future.” That includes helping the state “pay off interest on debt” and keeping the budget balanced — priorities shared by all three parties.
This puts TCP and its Yale allies on the wrong side of public opinion.
While TCP and the Tobin Center insist the guardrails are holding the state back, voters see them as a safeguard against exactly the kind of reckless spending Connecticut used to be known for. The idea that working families want lawmakers to dismantle the very rules that rebuilt the state’s finances just doesn’t hold up.
If anything, the public is asking lawmakers to do their jobs — not rewrite the rules every time someone wants to launch a new program.
The guardrails were put in place for a reason. They’ve stopped lawmakers from blowing through our tax dollars, helped pay down billions in pension debt, and brought some stability to a state where running in the red was the norm.
Adjusting the guardrails now to make room for more programs and bigger government isn’t responsible — it’s exactly what got Connecticut into trouble in the first place. Lawmakers shouldn’t fall for it. They need to stick with what works and not cave every time a well-financed special interest group wants more spending.
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Five Connecticut towns will collectively receive $10 million in grants for infrastructure upgrades, according to a Monday announcement by Gov. Ned Lamont.
The Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH) is awarding $10.7 million to Coventry, Guilford, Ledyard, Mansfield and Thomaston to modernize and rehabilitate housing for low- and moderate-income residents, the announcement said.
The funds are being released through the DOH’s Community Development Block Grant’s small cities program, with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. To be eligible, a municipality must have fewer than 50,000 residents.
Cost Breakdown
Coventry: $2 million
Town of Coventry plans to use funds to upgrade, with a focus on making Orchard Hill Estates compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Guilford: $2 million
The Town of Guilford plans to use funds to design and build future affordable housing projects, consisting of up to 16 rental units and 8 homes.
Ledyard: $2 million
The Town of Canton requested funding for the first phase of affordable housing for people in Ledyard and the surrounding area. Habitat for Humanity of Eastern Connecticut is in the pre-development phase of the Colby Drive and plans to create 38 units.
Mansfield: $2.2 million
Funding will be used for upgrades to Wright’s Village, including roof replacements and sidewalk repairs.
Thomaston: $2.5 million
Funds will be used to make Green Manor ADA-compliant, including the installation of a new emergency call aid system.
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Connecticut
Florida High School State Bronze Medalist Dajah German Verbals To Connecticut For Fall 2027
Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
Florida high school state bronze medalist Dajah German has announced her verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Connecticut beginning in the fall of 2027. She publicized the news on SwimCloud, writing:
I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Connecticut! I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported me throughout this journey, my family, coaches, teammates, and friends who have pushed me to be my best throughout the years. And a very special thank you to Coach Chris and Coach Nicole for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I’m so excited for what’s ahead. GO HUSKIES!
A rising senior at Fort Lauderdale High School in Florida, German trains year-round with Swim Fort Lauderdale and primarily specializes in the sprint and middle-distance freestyle events.
German has improved each year of her high school career, most recently dropping from 23.78, 51.39, and 1:50.56 in the 50/100/200 free to 23.54, 51.35, and 1:49.69 during the 2025-26 short course season.
German’s top meet of the season was the Florida Senior Championships in March, where she recorded her current PBs in both the 50 and 200 free. She finished second in the 500 free (4:55.94) and 1650 free (17:02.78), third in both the 50 free and 200 free, and fifth in the 100 free (51.43). She set her current 100 free PB at a smaller holiday meet in December. In the 500 free, she clocked a season-best 4:55.21 at the Speedo Cup in January, with her lifetime best of 4:53.19 coming at the 2025 Florida Senior Championships.
German has qualified for the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) State Championships for the past three years, with her top performance coming at the 2025 iteration in November. She placed third in the 50 free (23.96), fifth in the 500 free (5:01.12), and helped Fort Lauderdale to fourth place in both the 200 free relay (24.64 leadoff) and 400 free relay (53.08 anchor).
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Freestyle: 23.54
- 100 Freestyle: 51.35
- 200 Freestyle: 1:49.69
- 500 Freestyle: 4:53.19
A Division I Mid-Major program, Connecticut competes in the Big East, with the women’s team placing second out of seven teams at this past season’s conference championships. German’s current lifetime bests would have placed third in the 200 free, fourth in the 500 free, eighth in the 50 free, and ninth in the 100 free, setting her up as an immediate contributor with two full seasons of training still ahead before her first conference meet.
German joins Anna Mumford, Lyla Devlin, Lena Brown, and Louisa Holda in committing to the Huskies’ class of 2031 so far.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
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