Curb the Destruction

At the risk of sounding like a cranky old man -- has anyone else noticed that this winter has been especially harsh on Connecticut curbs?

From the parking lot here at the magazine's office in Trumbull to my street in Shelton and on lots of the roads in between, it seems as though there has been an especially high level of curb carnage -- curbs that have been torn up and knocked asunder by snow plows. Why?

Is it because of all the snowfall this past winter and the multiple plowings that have come with it, regular curbs just wore down and gave way? Or do they just not make 'em like they used to (all asphalt, no concrete, nothing below the road's surface)? Or are snowplow drivers not as careful any more? Or is it a combination of all these reasons? It seems as though there are lots of potholes this year, too, so I don't doubt that it was an especially rough season on roads.

I know in my case, at the request of my neighbor, the city has said they may come out and repair the section of asphalt curb in front our houses -- I don't want them to bother because unless they do it with a solid concrete curb (unlikely in this economy) or they can guarantee it won't snow next winter (come on global warming!). Otherwise, we'll be right back in the same spot next spring.

Connecticut Specialties to Try

In conjunction with an upcoming article in our May issue, we're running a survey to find Connecticut specialties that everyone who calls themself a proper Connecticut resident should try at least once. We're looking for particular dishes from Connecticut restaurants -- from the white clam pizza at Pepe's in New Haven to the steamed cheeseburgers at Ted's to the clam hash at Pat's Kountry Kitchen.

Have any suggestions? Please click here and share what local dish you think everyone should try.

More Scare Headlines

Lots of scary headlines today about the number of Connecticut residents either way behind on their mortgage payments or actually in foreclosure. Ignore them. The fact is that even in this tumultuous economy, the number of such delinquencies is 24,230 out of a total of 922,957 owner-occupied homes in Connecticut. The number of delinquencies represents 2.6% of the total. That means that 97.4% of all Connecticut homeowners either have paid off their mortgages or are doing so on time and in an orderly way. This is perspective you aren't finding in the local paper these days. When so many are feeling uncertain about the economy (with good reason), it can be a little comforting to understand what the real numbers are.

Too Much Reverence for Wealth

One of the problems hobbling our current efforts to make a budget on the state and federal levels is our reverence for wealth and fear of the people who are wealthy. It is useful to keep in mind that most of the very wealthy people in this country (over $500,000 in annual earnings from all sources) were born into their money, or have been overpaid for the services they render, or have made one or a handful of clever investments or friendships. Do some of them work hard, build businesses and provide useful products and services? Sure, but why should we be afraid to tax them? Why do we grant them special status? Why shouldn't a higher percentage of their money go back into the society that gave them the opportunity to be rich? In Connecticut, our Republican legislators (mostly) act terrified of the prospect of raising taxes on the wealthy. It's time to grow up and stop being afraid of rich people. At this point, I don't know which is worse, the Democrats afraid of state employees or the Republicans afraid of their wealthy constituents. Both tendencies are very harmful to the budget-making process.

Dodd's Curious Course

The longer that Chris Dodd continues to be less than fully forthcoming about his sweetheart mortgage loans from Countrywide, the more likely this sordid affair will become his legacy. One would think that he would have learned a lesson from the experience of his own father, whose hotly denied misdeeds tarnished a distinguished career as well as the Dodd family name. Dodd's release of some information regarding the loans, to some reporters, for a limited period of time (and with no copying allowed) is hardly a satisfying outcome. We are left with the feeling of Emily Dickinson's doctor, who was supposed to examine her as she walked, fully clothed, past an open doorway. By assuring that this episode will now be prolonged--despite his promise that he will be refinancing with another bank--Dodd assures that this stain will grow larger, more visible and harder to remove. John Rowland did, finally, stand up in public and say, "I am ashamed to be here today and I accept full responsibility for my actions." Why can't Dodd come even part way to the same admission, or at least to a full explanation of what happened? Until he does, many people (including many supporters) will think the worst of him and history's view of his quite remarkable public career will continue to darken.

Hypocricy at the Top

As Gov. Rell delivers her budget address today, stressing how hard times are right now and advocating budget and program cuts across the board, it will be very hard for me to ignore the fact that she's rewarded her own staff with pay raises this year--as reported in this morning's Waterbury Republican-American. The governor will try to establish a relationship in her speech with her struggling constituency, especially those who have been laid off or whose income has been frozen. But she clearly believes her own people are above such realities and that they deserve special consideration in these difficult days. Speaking on behalf of only one business entity out here in the state, I can say that we will have no raises this year and our company contributions to our 401(k) plans have been discontinued. Don't try to express solidarity with us, governor. Your true nature--and your disregard for the people who elected you--was revealed the day you quietly put these raises into effect.

The Machinations Have Begun

State employees have begun their defense against possible budget cuts with the release of poll results under the headline "Voters Value Connecticut Public Service Workers and Services--No Appetite for Layoffs or Cuts." The first thing to notice is that for the purposes of the polling questions they are "public service workers" rather than "state employees." The second thing to notice is that the poll asked respondents whether they'd like to see service cuts in health care, education or road maintenance (the answer of course was no) or layoffs (again, naturally no one likes to see other people get laid off). One question that wasn't asked of the Connecticut public is something along the lines of "Would you support a one-year freeze on state employee salaries and other compensation?" This question might have yielded more interesting results and gotten closer to the truth of the way people feel. But why conduct a poll if you can't direct the results in your favor?