New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof and Donald Trump, ironically, are on the same page regarding schooling in buildings. In advocating for in-person instruction, they are both wrong. In-school sessions bring every thoughtful student fear — ear that she or he is about to give a deadly virus to grandma that evening at home or later that month. That alone means that until there is a successful vaccine, in-school learning cannot be as effective as online learning.
Mark Stewart Greenstein
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Mandated paid family leave plan is financially unfeasible
Mandated Paid Leave… So here they go again. Members of the State Rep. Josh Elliott wing claim that when a state forces its employers to pay people who want to take time off from work for family reasons it is appealing to employers. Errrr. If it were so appealing, we’d see almost every state employer doing it now.
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Highway tolls equal taking our liberties
We should be amazed. The first piece of 2019 proposed legislation coming from our General Assembly was to fund more restrictions on our liberties. That was State Sen. Alexandra Bergstein’s tolling plan, offered in Week One of the legislative session.
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If Connecticut REALLY needs to raise a billion each year…
If Connecticut REALLY needs to raise a billion each year… don’t use traditional tolling. The easy way is low mileage-based use fees on all roads. This is tracked using satellite and/or cell-phone technology. On-board devices already in all cars built since 1998 can be programmed to record miles driven on Connecticut’s roads. ($30 transponders under the hood are a less-intrusive alternative). Out-of-state drivers are asked to pull over to a welcome station the first time they enter the state to buy a transponder. For drivers crossing our border on local roads, licensed roadside stores or gas stations can sell the transponders, the way lottery dealers do now.
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‘Spoiler,’ ‘wastrel’ or ‘noble:’ An assessment of voting for an independent
My vote for the most noble political people in Connecticut this week: the 60,000 who voted for petitioning governor candidates without succumbing to “spoiler” condescension from their families, colleagues, and friends. That nobility includes independent candidate Oz Griebel himself. He faced a lot of pressure from very well-meaning people, but Oz upheld his purpose, and stayed steadfast to the cause of so many voters who wanted him to succeed.
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Traffic stops, African-Americans and the drug war
The Connecticut Mirror rightly raises an issue that should be salient: the justice given and denied to African Americans. It highlights the findings of the Racial Profiling Prohibition Project and suggests at least eight Connecticut towns’ police activities deserve closer scrutiny (their words).
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‘Conserva-tarians’ have a chance to get governing right
I am a conservative. Libertarian too. “Conserva-tarian” is a good appellation. “Jeffersonian” is not bad either.
Conservatives among us had better stick with SEBAC for 2.5 more years. (Remember, after June 2021, the oppressive part is over).
To conservatives:
A) Do you REALLY want to trust liberal judges to undo a freely negotiated agreement? (Even conservative John Roberts wouldn’t undo ObamaCare; undoing SEBAC is MORE of a stretch.)
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Connecticut’s fiscal straits are GOOD for its future
The dire picture of Connecticut’s finances painted by the majority of candidates for state office is a GOOD thing. Finally, candidates are at least talking about the right things: spending within our means, bonding within reason, and ending the undue riches the state showers on employees who are in some cases undeserving. Now, let’s see if those who win can follow through beyond election season.
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Democrats need an untraditional candidate
Leftists will not initially like me; but Democrats need someone untraditional. Mark my words. Progressivism will not survive six more years unless it dramatically changes. Progressives will not have Donald Trump on any ballot in 2024. The leftists may see a brief electoral surge based on “odious Trump.” But once he’s out of the picture, leftism will be an electoral disaster. It already has some disastrous traits. Leftism brought on Trump. Outside of a few progressive enclaves, the American public does NOT embrace a leftist agenda.
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In Farmington, buildings don’t teach, teachers do
I wanted to reveal how one governor candidate, I, decided on a vote what may have been tangentially important to you: the Farmington High School rebuild. [Last June, Farmington voters rejected a $135 million renovation to their high school by a margin of nearly two to one: 2,411 in favor to 5,029 opposed. — Ed] At an estimated $138 million for a building, it was a mis-prioritization. I believe strongly in education — I’ve worked with private and public schools for almost 20 years — but look what $138 million alternately buys for our students:…