Thumbs up, thumbs down
Thumbs down to state Rep. Anne Dauphinais. Does this need to be said? You shouldn’t compare the governor to Hitler. You can think Ned
Lamont is a bad governor and he’s pushing the wrong policies and his COVID solutions are wrongheaded and he’s hurting the Connecticut economy. All that is fair game. The Killingly Republican, though, went quite a bit further. “King Lamont aka Hitler dictating what we must inject into our bodies to feed our family!” Dauphinais wrote in a Facebook comment. When a predictable outcry ensued, Dauphinais took pains to make clear she wanted to clarify her statement, not apologize. Her best bet is to stop talking altogether. This is far beyond the scope of acceptable political discourse.
Thumbs up to the seven-day soft launch period for online gambling. Starting at 3 p.m. Tuesday, many Connecticut residents will be able to
use phones or computers to place a bet with one of three vendors. For now, it will be limited to 750 patrons for the Connecticut Lottery and each of the two Native American tribes that run casinos in the state, though it will open to more people shortly. It’s been a long journey to get here, and the state is expecting big dividends in the form of revenue. But there are dangers, as well, as officials have recognized. Putting gambling at the push of a button makes the need for caution that much greater, and efforts must be in place to give people the help they need.
Thumbs down to shortages in school cafeterias in Connecticut. The COVID-19 food and labor shortage are felt directly by some students every
day, resulting in fewer options on the lunch menu, less supplies and reduced staff. Meanwhile, there is an added squeeze because all students are eligible to receive free school meals during the pandemic. Not every district is reporting setbacks, but some districts are facing challenges in keeping the meals nutritious. For too many students, lunchtime at school is already a vital time to eat healthy food. Hopefully, these shortages will be resolved soon.
Thumbs down to an increase in demand for urgent behavioral health care for children. As Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Friday, “What was
bad has become worse.” Much of the trouble is attributable to COVID and its accompanying disruptions, but there are other factors, as well, including increased use of social media among younger people. Blumenthal was touring Connecticut Children’s medical center, but the pattern has been seen everything that serves children. There isn’t enough space and there aren’t enough resources to serve everyone in need. Even if COVID fades, this isn’t a crisis that is going to disappear.