Three years ago, I wrote on these pages about not moving to Florida. My house was for sale because I moved across town for a better view, not because I was running from the cold and high taxes. The op-ed piece was warmly received, including a nice follow-up call from Gov. Ned Lamont. At the time, even modest praise of life in Connecticut was seen perhaps as contrarian if not downright controversial.
In the present time: post-election, after the Capitol riot, many school shootings later, sort of post-COVID, further into climate change, it might be time to revisit this topic. Still in Connecticut, listening with patience as my friends praise Florida/Texas/Arizona/California. Of course, it is not possible to do this commentary without crossing a bit into the political.
But here goes.
Bottom line, I am still in Connecticut; the state is looking better all the time. Compared to other states: no wildfires, few brownouts or air-quality emergencies. We seem, even in a drought, to have water. Lawns are still being irrigated. Cars washed. Water served in restaurants. The Connecticut River is getting cleaner. The Farmington River, my go-to fly fishing destination 20 minutes from my house, is spectacular. I note all the Pennsylvania and New York license plates. While bear sightings are up, general nasties like mosquitoes, lizards and snakes seem to succumb to the winter and must restart in the spring. Exterminators can be found on the internet but, unlike Florida, are not as ubiquitous as Amazon Prime delivery vans on every street. July and August can be hot, but our roads are not melting.
We have restrictive, but to my mind, thoughtful gun laws including limitations on assault weapons and large magazines. I got a pistol permit, but it took six months and seemed like a rational process. Our state officials (governor, representatives, senators) rarely embarrass us on national television. No one even hinted there was a problem with our election.
We wore masks as directed during the worst of COVID. Towns sensibly relented on strict zoning rules and let restaurants move onto the sidewalk. Our state government seemed to follow national guidelines based on medical science. The vast majority of my fellow citizens masked up with a sense of civic duty if not always concurrence.
Connecticut supports a woman’s right to choose. No state trigger laws. The state does not generally ban books, meddle in local school curriculum, or get too woke. My fellow citizens appear to support and wish to continue to fund the police. Marriage can include anyone in this state. We seem to be keeping church and state pretty separate.
Finally, we might, if not winning, at least are not facing immediate extermination over the climate. A small state, downwind of most of the continent, I am not sure how much we can do to save the world on our own. But at least it is not 115 degrees, with no water, our woods on fire and power outages. Winter is cold but we are used to it. Our coast is generally comfortably above sea level and likely to stay that way. Most of the hurricanes miss us.
Of course, taxes are still high. Our roads and bridges need work. The trains are an adventure. Bradley International Airport is miles from the bus terminal or train station (always baffled me).
So, I am still here, with world-class medical care, excellent education opportunities, and the best pizza in America. I share the state with fellow residents who seem reasonable, less radical, more conciliatory. A land of steady habits and increasingly, relatively speaking, nice weather.
Robert V. Lally is a CPA and senior partner at Federman, Lally & Remis. He lives in Avon
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