A connection between violence and nightclub districts in New Haven has Mayor John DeStefano concerned. He wants to tighten some restrictions on nightclubs after a weekend homicide, and Governor Dannel Malloy is backing him up. Also, The Wheelhouse Digest wants to know from you: do you think we can work our way through local problems in our towns and cities without knowing personally the right person to do the job? Do we sometimes hide behind bureaucracy, or can it be a good shield? That and more below.
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NEW HAVEN VIOLENCE
Mayor DeStefano wants lawmakers to regulate nightclubs more tightly.
A fourth nightclub-related homicide occurred in New Haven over the weekend, killing one woman and injuring five others. Mayor John DeStefano wants lawmakers to address the problem immediately by giving cities the ability to levy fees for nightclubs in areas where a heavy police presence is required, among other measures.
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SPORTS COLUMNIST "WILL NOT REST" OVER UCONN
Jeff Jacobs takes the UConn sexual assaults problem personally.
Jeff Jacobs, sports columnist for The Hartford Courant, wrote recently about his frustration with the situation at the University of Connecticut. "Over-reactionaries," he wrote, "and some simply bent on undercutting what they see as a state university built on testosterone-raging athletics have been pounding their fists the past few days and screaming, 'Something must change!' Well, something already did. Pay attention. The school made appropriate steps two-three years ago."
Read more at The Hartford Courant.
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CLOSE SOCIAL TIES VS. IMPERSONAL POLITICS
Is government better or worse when decision-makers are influenced by personal ties?
Whether the topic is an insurance scandal tied to city hall, or rape allegations involving public school athletics, personal ties have a role in how much we know about who's responsible for problems of public concern. An article by Michael Shaffer in The New Republic questions whether small towns really have it better in that regard. This prompts the question: where does Connecticut fit in the spectrum? Do our towns and cities have enough size to buffer us from too much personal influence? Or is the smaller government size working to our advantage?
