Thumbs up, thumbs down
Thumbs up to Garrett Eucalitto, who has an important job as Connecticut’s next transportation commissioner. Eucalitto takes over from Joe Giulietti at a time when infrastructure is in the news thanks to a large infusion of federal dollars. But there is plenty to do in terms of choosing projects and prioritizing problems to be solved. Highway congestion gets a lot of attention, but may be an unsolvable problem; we know more lanes is not the answer. Mass transit has potential, but there’s more to it than trains. Safety must come first. There are simply too many people dying on our roads, either behind the wheel or out for a walk. There is a lot of work ahead.
Thumbs up to UConn basketball. The men’s and women’s teams each came away with early season tournament championships over the weekend, with the state of Iowa feeling the force of Connecticut’s wrath — the men beat Iowa State for their title, while the women defeated Iowa. It’s a familiar place for both teams, which have combined to make UConn the best basketball school in America over the past quartercentury. Still, there have been plenty of struggles along the way, so it’s a welcome sight to see them both back in the winner’s circle. It’s early in the season, but this is a good omen going forward.
Thumbs down to an increase in Connecticut residents seeking fuel assistance aid as winter approaches. Social service organizations across the state are reporting that more people are seeking help paying their heating bills this winter as inflation continues to take a toll and the worst of the cold weather has yet to arrive. A special session of the General Assembly planned to start Monday is aimed in part at helping ease some of those needs, with increases in rates on the way from Eversource and United Illuminating only adding to the concerns. There is plenty that lawmakers can do, but it’s not a problem that will be solved in one special session. Officials need to maintain attention on this issue.
Thumbs down to a distressing series of tragedies in which seven pedestrians were killed by drivers over eight days in Connecticut. That adds to a grim total of 60 such fatalities in the state in 2022, making it one of the deadliest years for pedestrians since 2010. Typically, Connecticut records about 40-50 pedestrian deaths in a calendar year, though 60 were documented in 2020. Experts point to shorter days as a contributing factor, which traditionally makes December a dangerous month. So whether you’re walking or driving, be extra careful out there.
Thumbs up to holiday shoppers who turned out over the weekend to support local businesses. Turnout was reportedly inconsistent, as Danbury Fair mall had a packed parking lot, and similar showing was seen at spots such as the Westfarms mall on the Farmington-West Hartford line. That wasn’t the case everywhere, but given the online competition and current state of inflation, it’s encouraging to see a lot of people embrace the pre-COVID tradition of joining the crowd to shop. There are still 27 days until Christmas, so there’s plenty of time to give a needed boost to local merchants.