I already share the congested Connecticut roads with DUI drivers, people driving with suspended licenses and/or no insurance, joyriders on the roads in stolen cars and others who shouldn’t be behind the wheel of any motor vehicle. I do not want to have to dodge anyone driving while under the influence of recreational marijuana, too!

Trust that our children are always watching, listening, and taking note of every action or inaction. We must be mindful of the necessity of molding a generation capable of inheriting the country. Education is at the front lines of this effort but portions of it, such as art and music, always seem to be under attack. When Winston Churchill was asked to cut arts funding in favor of the war effort, he simply replied, “…then what are we fighting for?”

Bernie Sanders recently said that the “I think the right to vote is inherent to our democracy, yes, even for terrible people.” Now, I don’t think that Bernie Sanders is the sharpest knife in the drawer, but why would anyone place this right ahead of all others?

Immigration. It’s a word that gets people riled up in the streets and vocal on the internet. But I believe that many are zooming in on the wrong parts of immigration as a problem. Some Americans turn their contempt of foreigners toward the southern border. Some Europeans turn their hatred of other religions towards the stream of migrants from the Middle East. Yet many of these groups have the wrong object of their dislike. In my opinion, the real problem here is immigration and emigration, altogether.

Last week the Senate unanimously passed a bill to ensure that the names of family violence victims are protected under the Freedom of Information Act. A practice in place since 1981 for victims of sexual assault, this change in the law is necessary to protect victim confidentiality and safety. Members of the media have criticized the bill saying it makes victims less safe by allowing dual arrests to go unreported. We disagree.

Legislation is being considered in Hartford to expand the list of beverage containers subject to the state’s container deposit law. This legislation is unnecessary as these containers are currently managed effectively and efficiently in Connecticut’s robust and well-established municipal and business recycling programs. An expanded bottle bill will mean higher costs for municipalities and loss of jobs at Connecticut recycling facilities.

There is a cadre of families and children that for decades has not been able to benefit from a regular education. The evidence will support the position that the present Pre-K-12 structure of our schools has exhausted its ability to meet the needs of these children. That their needs are as well defined, and unique as those which were the bases for the enactment CGS 10-76, the special education law. A response equal in intensity, is required to remedy their plight.

Gov. Ned Lamont’s 30-30-30 plan represents a long-needed, concrete goal for a well-operated New Haven Line. The travel times called for therein —30 minutes from New Haven to Stamford and 30 minutes further to Grand Central — are attainable using the right-of-way the state already has. The 30-30-30 plan has the virtue of replacing amorphous “state of good repair” programs that have no accountability attached to them.  However, the governor’s vision will go nowhere as long as the management of the railroad under the Connecticut Department of Transportation and its contractor Metro-North Railroad lags behind global best practices.