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Showing posts from May, 2022

The Public Deserves to See the Trash Outsourcing Report

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Art generated by AI following author's prompt: Report locked in safe The Enfield Town Council is considering a consequential issue: outsourcing our public works trash removal service. However, the town has not released the consultant's report, which likely examines the pros and cons of such a move, even as the Council begins its budget deliberations. The town council authorized the hiring of the consultants in November, 2024. On April 7, 2025, the Town Council discussed the report in executive session. I submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for a report copy this week. The Town Manager's office responded that the report is still in draft format and is not eligible for public disclosure under the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act. I was also told: "The contract has not provided us a completion date at this time." That means the report could be withheld from the public indefinitely. Draft is not an automatic exemption This was my response: "My un...
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Ban gun purchases for people under 21

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Ban gun purchases for people under 21 is something Congress should act on. That's one big step since teens are responsible for a disproportionate share of school shootings. Until then, any 18 year who buys an AR-15 and a load of ammunition ought to be an automatic red flag. Unfortunately, the median age of school shooters is 16. That might make a case for requiring gun owners to store their weapons securely. The U.S. Secret Service studied school shootings and what it found in 25 attacks that involved firearms: "Nineteen attackers (76%) acquired a firearm from the home of a parent or another close relative. In half of the firearms cases (n = 12, 48%), evidence indicates the firearm was either readily accessible, or it was not secured in a meaningful way." You combine immature and mentally ill kids who have easy access to firearms, and you have a problem. Requiring secure storage, and raising the purchase age, might help. Responsible gun owners already secure their weapon...
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