HERE ARE FIVE WAYS WE CAN START FIXING THEM
In Connecticut, we can’t blame Donald Trump anymore for the problems he exploited to gain power
The images from Joe Biden’s inauguration as the 46th president of the United States were striking. Just two weeks earlier — in the exact same spot — we witnessed the unthinkable: Hordes of violent, angry terrorists tearing through the Capitol in an unsuccessful effort to forestall the inevitable end of Donald Trump’s catastrophic tenure. By Wednesday, the 20th of January, all was as it should be.
Our newly elected leaders flanked by members of the government present and past took their oaths of office. Flags fluttered in the breeze of a crisp January day. There was calm and order; poetry and singing; hope and dignity.
The Courant has the (virtually) unique distinction among American newspapers of having covered the inauguration of each of our 46 presidents. We were around for George Washington’s first inaugural, for Abraham Lincoln’s, which also came amid profound social and economic divisions, and for Barack Obama’s history making moment in 2009.
Joe Biden’s call for unity will long stand out as a salient moment in American history. The level of anger and division ripping at the fabric of the Republic may not be unprecedented, but that doesn’t mean it is not uniquely dangerous. As we witnessed Wednesday, the anger and vitriol stirred up by Trump didn’t need much help to set it ablaze.
“I know the forces that divide us are deep, and they are real, but I also know they are not new,” President Biden said during his inaugural address. “Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we are all created equal and the harsh, ugly reality that racism, nativism, fear, demonization have long torn us apart. The battle is perennial, and victory is never assured.”
But Biden also made clear that battle wasn’t his alone. Echoing the famous words of John F. Kennedy from 60 years ago, Biden called on all Americans to be part of the solution — to ask what they can do for their country.
“Now we’re going to be tested,” Biden said. “Are we going to step up, all of us? It’s time for boldness for there is so much to do. And this is certain. I promise you we will be judged, you and I, by how we resolve these cascading crises of our era.”
We are going to be tested.
Are we ready, here in Connecticut, to answer the call? And what might that look like?
Fix persistent inequality
First, we need to recognize that while Trump exploited deep divisions in our society, he did not create them. The gap between wealthy and poor has been growing steadily since the late 1970s, with the share of wealth of those at lower end of the spectrum shrinking dramatically.
The coronavirus pandemic has aggravated these trends. In Connecticut, we have sadly witnessed long food lines for those out of work or who have seen their incomes slashed, and — at the same time — a run-up in the stock market that has further enriched the wealthy.
When people talk about the disappearance of the middle class, this is what they are talking about. The good opportunities for those who don’t go to college or land a job at a hedge fund are shrinking, putting the dream of making a better life for your children out of reach for far too many.
Trump seized on the anger and frustration of those left behind. But it would be a profound mistake to assume that just because he has stepped back, the problems are any less real. Connecticut — with wealth and an innovative spirit — can lead in helping correct this imbalance. It will require meaningful change when it comes to educational opportunity, job training and — most of all — investing in people in need rather
“I promise you we will be judged, you and I, by how we resolve these cascading crises of our era.”
— Joe Biden, in his inauguration speech
than in those with power.
But we can do it. If we have the will.
Which brings us to point No. 2: We need to commit at every level of government to change from a system that serves those with power and influence to one that actually exists to make life better for people. If income inequality was the engine behind Trump’s popularity, distrust in government was the fuel. The calls to “drain the swamp” may have been laughable coming from Trump, but he touched a nerve.
And you don’t have to look very hard to find examples of the political swamp being alive and well here in Connecticut.
The state Bond Commission recently gave retiring House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz a $2.7 million going away present in the form of improvements at the Berlin football field, where Aresimowicz coaches. And the Courant recently reported that the Blue Hills Fire District doled out bonuses to firefighters after receiving $120,000 in coronavirus relief funds designed to help struggling businesses. That’s our money — and money that should be either in the pockets of taxpayers or used to fix real problems.
Those in power — from Gov.
Ned Lamont on down — need to decide: Do they want to hold their noses and tell themselves that they didn’t make the rules, that this is how things work, or be the kind of leaders that make a difference? Again, it’s as much about will as anything else. It’s deciding who you choose to serve.