Vote ‘No’ — This Budget Referendum Politicizes Enfield and Solves Nothing

Image
Sample Ballot District One referendum question: Shall the Enfield Town Charter be revised as proposed by the Charter Revision Commissionand as approved by the Enfield Town Council by Resolution #7276 at its regular meeting of June 16, 2025? (Click on ballot to see clear version) On Nov. 4, voters will face a yes-or-no decision on the Charter Revision Commission's work. It's a mess of things, but only one provision matters: Should the town have an Automatic Budget Referendum? Any budget the Council approves with more than a 5% spending increase must be put to a town-wide vote This referendum question is entirely political. [ Sample ballot , and Explanatory Text ] Why it's misleading The referendum idea was hatched by Republican leadership on the Charter Commission and sold as something that will be fiscally responsible and increase voter accountability. It will do no such thing because of how the town's finances work in the real world. What really determines whether tax...

Connecticut's warming climate and our mild winter

 
Late day glow, Enfield, Cora Street, Jan. 18, 2023

We could still get a lot of snow. The Blizzard of 1978 struck on Feb. 5 and dumped some two feet of snow. But there's no getting around the realization that our winters in Enfield are warmer, and so far, this Connecticut winter is pathetic. 

Connecticut's temperature will see a five-degree Fahrenheit increase in annual temperature by 2050, according to the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA), and fewer frost days, from 124 days to 85. The number of days of rain will increase, but most of that will be in the spring and winter. The summer climate will be dry. 

Climate Central ranks Connecticut eighth among states that are warming the most, reporting a 3.2°F increase since 1970. The overall temperature rise in the U.S. is 2.6°F. 

Connecticut and New England states, especially New Jersey, rank high because of the slowing of the Gulf Stream, which is increasing the warm water near us. The ocean waters influence our air temperature and climate. 

Our changing climate is grim, unsettling, and depressing, honestly. The decline of our winters in Enfield and Connecticut is evident to anyone of a certain age. It hurts to think about the loss of winter, but more about what we are doing to ourselves. 

I used my gas-powered snowblower just once this year for a three-inch storm. And then there is the oil furnace keeping the house warm. Eventually, a heat pump and solar panels will replace these systems. 
 
In Enfield, which is primarily single-family houses, the majority running on oil heat, this shift in energy source will be costly but necessary. The evidence is right outside our windows. 

Comments

Post a Comment