This Week's News:

STEFANOWSKI lays out his public safety agenda

CT leaders mull special session

People who need people

In March of 2020 we all took our computers home and depending where you work and for what type of organization, it might have been 2 years before you returned to work. If you were in some level of large organization ( like the state of Connecticut) you might still be working at home.

In Connecticut, schools/colleges have all returned to in person, recreational facilities are open, restaurants/cultural venues are open, municipal building across the board are open, but the state capitol and state offices are still operating under “limited access”. Odd uh?

After session ended in May of this year, I wandered over to the Legislative Office Building to check in on the staff and see what was happening, but after several months of having the security folks report that I was one of the few people to enter the building since the beginning of the week, and with the café still barely open and empty, I kind of gave up that long standing ritual. Most committees, taskforces, working groups and agency meetings remain virtual these days and when we connect with legislators or legislative/administrative staffs it’s mostly outside of the capitol campus or stage agency buildings.

What’s so wrong with that? Well for one thing it took me several months to learn that a well-known, popular SR staffer in one of the caucuses didn’t take a leave to work on campaigns, but left for a private sector job! And then as current legislators decided not to seek reelection after the session closed in May, it took a lot of people weeks to hear through the grapevine they were not seeking reelection!

As I’ve often said, lobbying is first a people business and without one-on-one daily interactions the sense of community has begun to fade. In fact, in the book Bowling Alone which came out several decades ago, the author speaks about the steady decline in social capital (AKA the value we get from connections and our sense of community support.) In leadership circles, social capital is one of the fundamental building blocks of your leadership success. The Atlantic even ran a story called “Why you never see your friends anymore” months before COVID-19 hit mainstream media. The “need to belong” is almost a basic need like food, shelter and water.

Did you know that the American Heart Association in August of this year, reported that social isolation and loneliness are associated with a 30% increase of the risk of heart attacks and strokes – WOW. Add the pressure of being a public servant and the growing lack of civility in our world, it’s just amazing that there still are individuals willing to serve their communities – mostly as volunteers.

Looking around the greater Hartford area, there is an uptick in social gatherings, though every once in a while there’s a retrenchment and the attendees at events seem to fall off when there’s increased media coverage of new “outbreaks” of the COVID-19 virus strains.

Exposure to a variety of people with diverse opinions, backgrounds and experiences are critical to a civil community. As this interaction drops significantly and continues to be “cocktail” chatter, our ties weaken. Our abilities to work through complex and often difficult decisions becomes challenged.  Think about those folks you would run into at the local community event, at the local schools, or the after work gathering of folks, or even the informal events with coworkers. Many of our colleagues and friends have started to get used to heading home after work and maybe skipping that early morning breakfast with the local organizations for extra family time. I know I for one have had a harder time filling tables at events – what normally was a one and done invitation to fill a table now turns into a “human Easter egg hunt” to find 9 other people willing to join in the festivities. Organizations I belong to are finding it harder to fill a room, despite having unbelievable special guests or keynote speakers. It’s easier to head home and turn on zoom and catch the gist of the conversation rather than interact and connect with colleagues, old friends and even meet new friends.

So how do we revive the esprit de corps at the Capitol and within government activities? Go old school maybe? Make sure you head to the library for that candidate debate, volunteer to help a candidate you support by making phone calls or go door knocking. Reports from the candidates find people want to hear about their ideas and positions and over the phone they are gathering a wealth of information about their districts. Ditch the like button on that social media – take a minute and actually send a comment or congratulations their way.

People who need people still exist. Become one of them again before it’s too late and we all start believing that those we encounter on social media are our ”friends” – not the ones you share something about yourself to in a personal conversation, or people who you respond to or react to with a depth of caring and empathy. Bring back the handwritten note or even that Hallmark card to celebrate, sympathize or send encouragement.

If we let our government process become just that - a process - I think our state and communities will pay a huge long term price. So fingers crossed, the capitol fully opens for the 2023 session; the doors of government are once again open and ready for business and all types and sizes of visitors; and Zoom and Microsoft Teams are the default ways in which we communicate and share thoughts.

THREE years later, isn’t it time to learn how to manage challenges versus avoiding the ongoing risks of community?

What the 2022 Crime Report Actually Forecasts About Crime Rate

Outside of taxes and education funding, the most divisive issue you can see talked about nationwide in any state campaign for office is crime. 

Both parties do their best to outline how frequently crimes are committed based on what they believe are the most vital statistics to see how to compare crime rates from the past with today's crime rate. 

Connecticut has a ton of data on crime, but it's very difficult to pick and choose a fair apples-to-apples forecast on whether or not crime is getting better or worse. After all, it was Connecticut native Mark Twain who once famously said that three types of lies that exist are, "lies, damned lies and statistics."

Here is a viewpoint that I think of as the most objective stats released this week by the state on their current crime rate:

Data from the report shows that between 2020 and 2021, Connecticut experienced a:

• 3% reduction in overall crime;
• 9% reduction in violent crime; and a
• 2% reduction in property crimes.

What's important about this statistic are a few critical points: (1) The difference in reporting violent crime and property crime depends largely on the level of property crime. For example, violent crime is far more likely to be reported than property crime (due to insurance and severity) so while the state of violent crime is a very positive development, it also makes you think property crime is either being underreported or is happening more frequently, and there not enough police to report the incidents. 

Additionally, the report finds that over the last ten years, overall crime in Connecticut has fallen 30%, including a 43% reduction in violent crime and a 29% reduction in property crime. This stat also presents positive benefits but leaves out a significant indicator: Where the violent crimes are happening more frequently. 

Here is a full link to the report so you can make your own independent assessment on where you think the crime rate stands in CT.

Municipal Investment

The new state board created by the legislature, the Community Investment Fund 2030 (CIF), just approved $76.4 million in state grants for development and community projects in distressed municipalities. The big winners are as follows: $12 million is headed to Middletown, $10 million to Waterbury, and $10 million to New Haven.

Approved last year by the legislature, CIF has a mandate to approve up to $875 million in projects and grants in distressed communities over a five year period. Funding is decided by a 21 member board that includes ten state lawmakers, nine heads of state offices, and two appointees by the Governor. Governor Ned Lamont now has 60 days from receipt of the CIF list to pass along to the bond commission.

The list of recipients approved Tuesday includes:

• Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association, Hartford, $1,247,038
• Baldwin Holdings Bridgeport, $1,756,164
• BIMEC Housing Development, New Haven, $2,132,250
• City of Ansonia, Ansonia, $6,500,000
• City of Meriden - 85 Tremont/Locust Street Project, Meriden, $3,000,000
• City of Middletown - Remediation & Demolition, Middletown, $12,000,000
• City of New Haven - 596-598 George Street Project, New Haven, $1,500,000
• City of Waterbury - Freight Steet Demo/Remediation Waterbury $ 10,000,000
• CitySeed, Inc New Haven, $1,092,500
• CONNCORP New Haven, $10,000,000
• Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen, New Haven, $500,000
• East Main St. Revitalization Association, - planning, Bridgeport, $750,000
• Fair Haven Community Health Clinic New Haven, $3,000,000
• International Hartford, Hartford, $1,137,514
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), statewide, $1,000,000
• MATCH Inc., New Haven, $780,000
• NCDC - Reid and Hughes – Norwich, $550,000
• New Haven Jewish Community Council Housing Corp. – planning, New Haven $155,000
• New Reach, Inc. New Haven, $312,619
• North Hartford Collaborative Hartford, $4,500,000
• Sheldon Oak Central, Inc Hartford $3,750,000
• Town of Bloomfield - Library Bloomfield $5,526,000
• Town of East Hartford - Church Corners, East Hartford, $2,500,000
• Town of Hamden - drainage – planning, Hamden, $750,000
• Town of Stratford, Stratford $1,600,000
• Winsted Health Center – planning, Winsted $438,750

Part II of our Series, Targeted Races. Help is Coming!

As state legislators continue to put up lawn signs, knock on their neighbors doors, and mobilize volunteers, we continue to get a clearer picture of where things stand in local races. Part of the fun of campaign season is looking into specific races around the state that many consider to be so tight, that an injection of final resources in the form of volunteers and other candidates support from around the state is coming. These are, as we learned last week in the last installment of In the Loop, targeted races. 

There are many other campaigns that have arisen in importance these past few weeks. Focusing on these races is not to say that others do not matter, but rather that these races are a lot closer heading into November. These become clearer as the campaigns look at who they have in their voter file system as “positive IDs.” Those are the number of supporters they have identified in their district that they will mobilize for GOTV (Get Out the Vote) efforts in the final few days heading into voting day.

As we discussed last week, some races are targeted not because of candidates but because of location. Not this one. Democrat Martha Marx is running against Republican Jerry Labriola Jr for Senator Paul Formica’s seat in District 20 in Eastern Connecticut. This race is one that is targeted because of the popularity of Senator Formica and the fact that Marx made this race close before, losing to Formica by just under 1,000 votes in 2020. A huge turnout comes into play in this district with 50,000 people voting in the last election. This race is huge, and could flip in the Democrats favor because of the high turnout and name recognition of the Democrat. Look for Republicans and Democrats to target this seat in the final few weeks by sending more volunteers and outside local elected officials to churn up their supporters. This race, for political nerds like myself, is as exciting as a football Sunday. 

While we are on the Senate side - lets check in down in Fairfield county with a new candidate, Tim Gavin, running as a Democrat against Senator Tony Hwang in the 28th Senate District. This is another big election and both because of the location (Fairfield - Easton) and the candidates. Gavin is a veteran. Hwang has been popular in district garnering 31,000 votes last cycle. This will be, and has been, a race that outside volunteers have targeted and other local elected officials are looking into as well. Resources, like people to knock doors and make phone calls, will be acking the town heading into November. 

As we know, there are other targets, especially in the House races across the state. These two senate races are important and as we get closer to the cold days of November, look for turnout to be high and volunteers to be ready to come help.

September 30: Babe Ruth's Final Swing

Today in 1945, a promotion-minded Hartford jeweler and a sports legend well past his prime joined together to make baseball history. Superstar Babe Ruth delighted 2,500 Connecticut fans by participating in an exhibition game between the semi-pro Savitt Gems of Hartford and the New Britain Codys. The Gems had been founded by successful local jeweler, Bill Savitt, who used his money and influence to schedule popular charity exhibition games involving some of the biggest names in professional baseball. Babe Ruth’s appearance was Savitt’s biggest celebrity coup yet.

By 1945, even though Babe Ruth had already been retired from professional baseball for ten years, he was still among the most popular sports figures in the United States (and remains so to this day). In his 22-year professional career, Ruth played for the Boston Red Sox before being infamously traded to the New York Yankees, where he earned the nickname “the Sultan of Swat” by shattering career records for home runs, RBIs, batting percentages, and more.

On the morning of September 30, the Hartford Courant breathlessly announced that “the greatest attraction ever known in baseball and the home run king of all times [sic], Babe Ruth” was scheduled to appear “in person” at Bulkeley Stadium in Hartford and “give a demonstration of hitting the ball over the fence” before pinch-hitting for the Savitt Gems. That afternoon, wearing a brand-new Gems jersey with a bright red baseball cap and matching stockings, the 51-year-old Ruth managed to hit off a handful of home runs before the game, much to the delight of everyone in attendance. His game-time performance, however, resulted in a handful of unexciting balls and strikes while at bat. During his interview with local radio personality Bob Steele after the game, Ruth wryly remarked, “Some days the pitches look like watermelons, and other days like peanuts.”

Though no one knew it at the time, Ruth’s 1945 Hartford appearance would be the last time he ever took the field as a baseball player. A few months after the exhibition game, Ruth’s health began to deteriorate rapidly; he was diagnosed with advanced esophageal cancer in 1946 and died from the disease in 1948. A living legend took the plate for the last time in front of thousands of adoring fans, on this day in Connecticut history.

To view the full story on the CT Historian's website, click here.