"State of the State"....Crappy!

An editorial about conditions in Connecticut.

It's just about that time of year when our elected officials try to tell us how great everything is.  In Connecticut, this is called the governor's "state of the state" address.  No doubt Governor Malloy will say that everything is hunky-dory, and "the state of the state is sound".  In reply, I say that the governor shouldn't insult my intelligence.  I have never, in all my life, seen Connecticut in a crummier condition than it is right now.  We are the laughing stock of the northeast, and the bad joke of the nation.  Hawaiians had to deal with a false missile alert? At least they don't live in Connecticut...we have a disaster every day, and it's called Dan Malloy.  

Seriously, what the governor and his Democratic cohorts in Hartford are doing is flushing this state down the drain.  To quote WWE's Shane McMahon, "let's take a few indicators". 

If you live in Connecticut, then you're no doubt familiar with the feeling of "robbing Peter to pay Paul".  People in this state are taxed up the wazoo; even a month's rent on a house can cost almost everything some families have.  And what does our great governor want to do about that? Raise taxes even higher....AGAIN (he's done that four times, while promising never to do it).  It is little wonder that business avoids Connecticut like the plague; nobody can afford to do business here! By the way Mr. Governor, how did that effort to get Amazon to relocate here turn out? Not very well, I suppose (Amazon didn't even consider Connecticut)?

I hate to get on a rant about how pathetic Connecticut's cities are, but frankly, they are in awful shape.  No doubt you know that President Trump has been accused of...using a certain off-color remark...to refer to certain countries.  If you want to talk about places that are in horrible condition, look at Hartford and Bridgeport.  In the former city, there is absolutely NOTHING.  You might as well just stay at home after dark, because other than the XL Center, the city is dead.  Unfortunately, Bridgeport is pretty much the same way.  Unless there's something going on at Webster Bank Arena, the whole city is shut down at night.  Closing down Harbor Yard (in order to make it into a concert venue) won't help the situation at all; it will just further it.  There was a vibrant independent baseball team there, but the city (which owns the land that the stadium sits on) decided to drive them out by not renewing their lease.  So long, Bridgeport Bluefish....and thanks a lot, Mayor Joe Ganim! You'll be a great pick for governor....you thug you (Ganim is a former felon, having been convicted of fraud/accepting bribes in a past administration)!

Did I mention that the right of free speech in Connecticut is, seemingly, non-existent? As evidence, let me briefly recount an incident that happened in October of 2013.

Governor Dan Malloy had been speaking at Enfield's Asnuntuck Community College as part of a forum on guns and gun rights.  Student Nicholas Saucier approached the governor to ask him about recent gun legislation.  After a short conversation, Saucier remarked that Malloy was "a snake".  At this point, the governor left the Asnuntuck campus.  Shortly afterward, Saucier was confronted by the school's president and a security officer.  They advised Saucier that he needed to leave the campus.  Subsequently, Saucier was suspended, and charged with violations of the school's "Policy on Student Conduct" (there is reason to believe that Malloy directed the school to file charges). 

At a later hearing on the matter, Asnuntuck violated Saucier's due process rights.  The school didn't allow him to present his recording of the conversation, nor did it allow any recording of the disciplinary hearing.  As would be expected in such a case, Saucier was found guilty of all charges, and placed on probation (subject to possible expulsion for any future incidents).  When a student rights group called the "Foundation for Individual Rights in Education" (FIRE) expressed concerns about this, the college did not respond (1). 

For his part, I have never heard a peep out of Governor Malloy's office regarding this, nor have I seen any media coverage of this incident. There is an unmistakable message being sent in this case; if you insult the governor, or speak up in any way, you will be retaliated against.  The First Amendment was specifically written so that those who would criticize their government wouldn't have to live in fear of reprisals.  For simply calling the governor "a snake", this young man's academic career, and possibly his future, has been ruined.  Good luck actually getting a job now, of which there are none in Connecticut anyway.  

That's the way it is in Connecticut these days.  I have lived in the "Constitution State" for thirty years.  I was born, schooled, and raised in this state; I regard it as my home.  I would like to be able to stay here, and live out my days close to family and friends.  However, the current "state of the state" has me quite seriously looking at moving to a state south of here.  My brother is currently on a road trip in South Carolina; he half-seriously has remarked that he may stay there. 

The conditions in this state are well-nigh intolerable.  Nevertheless, our "leaders" in the state legislature have, apparently, decided to "go along to get along"; there is absolutely no talk of censuring or impeaching the governor.  If I may quote Shane McMahon again, he and his Democratic cronies have run Connecticut "into the GROUND".  It's sad to say this, but I may have to start picking up copies of "The Real Estate Book" sooner, rather than later.  

1. “Asnuntuck C.C. Punishes Student Speech, Ignores This Exculpatory Video.” Thefire.org, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, 1 Apr. 2014, www.thefire.org/asnuntuck-c-c-punishes-student-speech-ignores-this-exculpatory-video.