-
1. What Is Local Government in Connecticut?
- Wesleyan University Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
ChApTEr 1 What Is Local Government in Connecticut? It is nearly impossible for anyone to leave home and travel for a few miles without coming across some aspect of local government at work. Indeed, local-government services have become such a part of our daily lives we hardly recognize that they are there! If local government ceased to exist, however, you couldn’t help but notice its absence. Students from kindergarten to twelfth grade would suddenly have no place to go. It would be summer year-round! No school busses, no crossing guards. But wait: no school means no school sports, no clubs. What would kids do all day? And what happens if one wants to enter the military, apply for a job, or go to college? No school, no diploma, no job. When it’s time to go to the park and play—an ugly scene would greet the would-be players. No one is taking care of the park. It is so overgrown with weeds that one cannot even find first base. The outfield looks like it is ready to be harvested. The adjacent community pool is no better. It is green with slimy algae, and all kinds of something growing in it. Ugh! The fence around it has dangerous rips in it. The black walkway to the pool is broken up from the previous winter’s frost, a twisted ankle waiting to happen. Bathrooms are closed, and there are no showers, no lifeguards. The basketball court is chained and locked, the remnants of basketball nets hanging off sagging rims. Discouraged, the players head home. The last of the sun’s rays gradually reveal dark streets—no streetlights! But why? After all, electricity is provided by a public utility, isn’t it? But what about the businesses in town? Has the closing of local government affected the restaurants and local businesses? They are not government, indeed they often complain about the local property taxes and how the town government is not run like a business. The movie theaters—they must be open, they are not run by the government either. And the department stores, they have to be open, after all, they are in business to make money! A trip down Main Street reveals otherwise. The fast-food establishment 4 Local Government in Connecticut has posted a notice it is closed; their toilets cannot flush. One of the neighborhood kids commented it was just as well, since his brother had become ill on the poor food, apparently due to the lack of the restaurant inspections by the town’s health officer. The movie theater has a message on its marquee, “Closed—our fire alarm system is not able to contact anyone.” One of the first-graders, thrilled by no school, steps out between some parked cars and is suddenly hit by a car. Call 911! No answer. The 911 system is part of the town’s emergency operations center for police, fire, and ambulance . A call is placed to a private ambulance company, which dispatches an ambulance to transport the child to the hospital, which, in this case, is not operated by local government (although other parts of the state do have hospitals operated by local government). Back at home, a call is placed to a local plumber since the toilets have started to back up. The reply is grim; the local sewage plant that treats the raw sewage has been shut down. To make matters worse, a bulletin on TV and radio, and messages on smartphones, warn people to boil water before using it since there is a question about its quality and purity. The local bank on the corner is suddenly held up by two burglars, and the manager hits the alarm, but there is no response. The local-government police force no longer exists. The state police offer to respond, acknowledging it may take an hour or two to get there. The next morning the nightmare continues. The trash put out the night before is still on the curb. No trash pickup! Some residents then pack the trash bags into their cars and drive to the local landfill. To their dismay, the sagging sign on the rusty gate reads Closed. The return trip to their home is complicated by a sudden severe rainstorm. The streets become flooded and the storm drains have stopped functioning; they are clogged with debris from the storm. Who is there to call? The list goes on and on. An uneasy...