Today, http://connecticutlocalpolitics.blogspot.com has a post asking whether the Mayor went too far in criticizing Governor Rell for not doing enough to save the Groton sub-base. Check it out and comment!
Politicians need to tell the truth. And I am glad Mayor DeStefano did, whether or not other Democrats joined him.
Do you know what that refusal to tell the truth does?
It creates a lukewarm, mushy policy debate where no one is ever willing to stand for anything. And that hurts our families every day.
A critical component of any Governor's job is to lobby the federal government on behalf of her state. This Republican Governor refused to travel to Washington DC until just a couple of weeks ago, failing the 3.2 million of Connecticut miserably in that responsibility.
Now we are faced with yet another economic development failure to react to. We are always reacting--to the loss of 30,000 jobs since the end of the recession in 2001, to the loss of hundreds of MetLife jobs in Hartford, and now to this.
Worst of all, our Governor has no plan to create new jobs. New Jersey's base closure will result in the loss of over 5,000 jobs and hurt as well--but because New Jersey has gained 70,000 jobs in the same time we have lost 30,000 it will hurt far less.
I work for Mayor DeStefano precisely because he will call it like he sees it, creating a framework for the kind of debate Connecticut's families deserve.
