Pandemic funds

One notable fact about the special session of our legislature (Monday, Nov. 28) caught my eye. Perhaps it wasn't so notable as it was buried towards the end of the article. A onesentence paragraph noted that $43 million in unclaimed bottle deposits were transferred to the state in 2021. That's free money that the state receives for doing nothing. It will increase because the deposit will cover almost if not every beverage, that comes in a bottle or can per our leaders in Hartford.

It was noted elsewhere in the article that our legislators solved the problem of funding premium pandemic pay, a problem created by Gov. Lamont's lack of funding from the get go.

Over 66,000 people who make less than $50,000 a year will get the maximum $1,000 benefits, while those with higher incomes will received drastically smaller amounts in the $105 million program, which had an October 1 application deadline.

The $50,000 threshold for getting the maximum amount promised will take 100 percent of the front line health care workers who were working double shifts during the pandemic. They're the one who deserve it the most. Gov. Lamont and lawmakers, how about kicking the $43 million into the pandemic fund with a few of 3.3 billion (!) dollars in the rainy day fund and stop embarrassing yourselves.

Fred Capozziello North Haven