Economic Reopening for Connecticut State: Struggles and Successes

Connecticut is no stranger to fiscal friction.  One needs to just look at the Great Recession that impacted the nation as a whole but then its own tax hikes and continual fixed cost increases. This has – unsurprisingly – resulted in the emergence of a distrust of leadership. Thus now our leaders are facing an incredible opportunity to handle this crisis in a way that restore trust and confidence from our citizens. According to Carol Platt Liebau who wrote a piece for Hartford Courant:  two key principles are needed for this to be actualized: transparency and fairness.

Another important element is how the economy is reopened.  And that must be done in a slow, careful and systematic way, which isn’t easy.  The advice Governor Ned Lamont has been given is to make his Reopen CT Advisory Council clear and open for the public to see.  Thereafter he needs to be ready to offer his constituents a thorough explanation for all reasons behind the council’s recommendations and actions, including an “epidemiological basis” for all decisions taken.

Small businesses more than any other probably need the most representation since they have suffered the most economically with COVID-19.   Forging ahead with “compassion and respect for the most vulnerable among us both physically and economically” will go a long way in restoring faith in our citizens and building confidence among them for the future.