Thumbs up, thumbs down
Thumbs up to reaching Phase 3 in the reopening of the state economy. It’s certainly welcome news for workers at restaurants, hair salons, barber shops and personal service providers who can now increase customer capacity from 50 percent to 75 percent. Similarly, outdoor venues can boost capacity from 25 percent to 50 percent, though the pending arrival of colder weather will limit possibilities. Other restrictions were lifted as well, though bars and night clubs remain shuttered. Skeptics who want to see all doors opened should remember that many people are still hunkering down at home, regardless of the increased opportunities to socialize.
Thumbs down to the sexist remark posted on state Rep. Mitch Bolinsky’s Facebook page about his opponent, Rebekah HarrimanStites. The campaign post said seniors didn’t need a “pretty face and promises” but “a man of action” to represent them in Hartford. Bolinsky, a four-term Republican representing the 106th District, which is solely in Newtown, apologized to Harriman-Stites, said he hadn’t seen it before it was posted and blamed his campaign agency for what he called a “type of discrimination.” That’s not a reasonable excuse — a candidate should review everything before it goes out to voters under his or her name.
Thumbs up to a reported 55-percent spike in new housing permits in Connecticut in August 2020 compared with August 2019. According to the state Department of Economic and Community Development, the first eight months of this otherwise dire year has delivered the most new housing permits since 2015. There is certainly considerable subtext to this as an indicator of shifts in investments in recent months, but the permits will ultimately produce welcome construction work.
Thumbs up to a program designed to prevent drug overdoses among former inmates. Because drug addiction is so common among people who are incarcerated, and since access to drugs like opioids during their time behind bars is likely limited, people coming out of prison are uniquely vulnerable to overdoses. In response, the state has been providing inmates discharged from the Department of Correction with Narcan nasal spray kits to preemptively help in case of opioid overdose. Inmates also receive training on how to use the spray, and are encouraged to share the information with relatives.
Thumbs down to drought conditions in wide swaths of the state that have led some local officials to urge the conservation of water until the situation eases. More than half of the state’s population is experiencing abnormally dry conditions, officials say, with extreme drought reported in the easternmost portion of Connecticut. In addition to water restrictions, this can lead to wildfires, which, though nowhere near the scale of what has been seen in the Western United States, can still cause trouble for firefighters and property owners. Everyone needs to use common sense and conserve our resources, though it’s hoped some rain in the forecast this week could help matters.