As a CT citizen, I’ve just had to weather the hurricane of idiocy and incompetence that befell our state this year on Nov 5th. After the barrage of moronic advertising leading up to it, the ballot shortages and other polling issues on the day itself, and the painfully drawn out recount process, we finally have our elected officials selected. Hooray. Now Malloy gets to deal with the reality of the situation he’s gotten himself into: taking over a state $4 billion dollars in debt. I hope he’s got a hefty pair of scissors on hand, because he’s got some serious trimming to do when it comes to the state budget. While he’s at it, he should probably go ahead and double his security force, because people are not going to be happy about any of it. Unless he starts moonlighting as a jewel thief, the only way to dig our state economy out of the pit that it’s buried in is going to be through raising taxes and cutting government programs. Although I could suggest another alternative.
That brings me to the photo above. Construction projects! Think back to the last major construction site you drove by on a highway or other government funded area. If your experiences have been anything like mine, it’s usually one or two guys working and about eight more standing around watching or just walking idly back and forth. I know it’s a tough job, but I’m pretty sure some of these projects could be handled by half the people. For instance, here’s one fun scenario encountered a few weeks back; I had a great view of this because I had to follow three police cars that were driving three miles an hour from Bristol to Hartford on 84. The ONLY thing going on that whole time was that a truck was driving in the leftmost lane, and a guy was leaning out the back putting down cones every twenty feet or so to block it off. That job takes exactly two people: a driver, and a cone guy. I tell you with no trace of exaggeration that there were five extra people seated in the back of that truck, just hanging out doing nothing (and they weren’t getting a ride to the construction area, because if they’re blocking off the lane for ten miles, they’re obviously going back to some spot farther back to get to work).
On top of that, there were the three police cars driving in front of me along with another truck that served no apparent purpose other than that it was also driving really slowly and flashing lights, bravely leading the several mile backup of honking cars behind me. In addition to that, each forthcoming exit was blocked by yet another police car, or in some cases, a pair of them. In front of all of this was two lanes of open road, and the cone crew in the left lane. I can see keeping the lane next to them empty, but using the right lane would have bothered no one. So, let’s get a little summary here, ignoring the frustrating and fuel-wasting fact of the unnecessary traffic tie-up in our calculations.
Job: Putting down a series of traffic cones.
Staff Necessary: Truck driver, cone placement expert, possibly a police car to keep the lane next to them open.
Staff Used: Truck driver, cone placement expert, guy sitting in the back of a truck, another guy sitting in the back of a truck, another guy sitting in the back of a truck, another guy sitting in the back of a truck, another guy sitting in the back of a truck, another truck driver, at least eight police cars
Get out those scissors Malloy, I think I see a line that says cut here…
