Governor Clubwoman's veto

MANIFESTO

Item:

Two bills to reform health care in Connecticut drew vetoes Wednesday from Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell, who called the measures too expensive for the state right now.

The bills would have provided universal health care and allowed municipalities, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations to join the state's gigantic insurance pool ...

"These are well-intentioned bills that seek to address critically important issues, but they ultimately fail to resolve the central problems of access and affordability," Rell said. "These bills also raise serious fiscal concerns that—in a time of record budget deficits, record unemployment and record business closures—simply cannot be ignored. These two bills would cost billions of dollars before any economic recovery is complete."

So, the bills are excellent legislation, but screw 'em, anyway.

There comes a time when the right thing to do trumps "fiscal concerns." The truth of the matter is that there's never a good time to spend public money—some excuse will always be offered no matter how flush times appear to be. (And, it should be added, times don't seem to be quite as bad as they've been.)

As one who's logged a few years, I can't help comparing this situation to things that Mother Mary holds dear: home and family. That is, if one were to decide rationally whether or not to buy a house, few would; for the vast majority of Americans, it simply can't be afforded. Likewise, with having children: They cost too much and they change parents' lives inestimably. But people bite the bullet and buy houses and raise families, believing that somehow the costs associated therewith can be handled—and in most cases they are.

Thus, I'm a little disappointed with the governor's veto. I think it's shortsighted and ultimately callous. Further, I'm more than a little disappointed that the legislature's Democrats won't be able to override the veto because "some legislators will be unable to attend the veto session, tentatively set for July 20, because of long-planned trips." To my mind, it's inexcusable that lawmakers vacation rather than serve the people who elected them.