It’s no easy job to be a politician. What starts out as being a dedication towards public policy can veer into the mucky swamps of satisfying constituents, or rather the vocal activists that fuel local campaigns. Sometimes there’s no easy path to take, and sometimes there’s no downside. In election years pet issues can skew one’s perspective on whether a public official is doing his/her job, so it’s with this in mind that I take an analytical look at some of the work of some the Greater Norwalk area legislators appearing in the news this week.

State Senator Bob Duff’s recent “Another View” in The Hour is taking aim at the state income tax deduction offered to those people who invest in the CHET 529 College Savings plan. CHET, is the Connecticut 529 offering, and obviously, makes money by managing these investments, so encouraging investment within Connecticut is one of those rare win-win scenarios that can accomplish good things. Duff seeks to expand the tax deduction to any 529 plan. Which would then render a promising win-win to a win-lose. Sure, individuals would get a tax credit under his plan, but then the state would lose on two fronts, one less revenue collected and two less investment dollars managed by the state.

Let’s look at why Duff is so keen on this bill:

Don’t care for the investment options? Unhappy with the level of customer service? Wondering if you could find lower fees elsewhere? If so, you’re out of luck. The option of investigating and searching for the best plan for you isn’t much of an option at all, when only one plan offers the tax incentives.

During this legislative session, I have proposed an initiative to extend the tax incentives that CHET enjoys to all qualified 529 plans. Each state carries its own 529, so Connecticut residents would have the option of enrolling in another state’s plan and still receiving this state’s income tax deduction. A similar initiative is gaining attention in Wisconsin and has already taken effect in several other states.
The goal is to increase the competition between plans to be sure that they are offering the best possible services to families and to offer investors a real choice. Whether on your own or through a trusted financial advisor, under this initiative you have the option of finding your ideal higher-education investment plan without fear of losing out on tax savings.CHET is a great program that’s helping families to realize their higher education dreams, and boasts one of the lowest program management fees in the nation. CHET is the best choice for many, many families, but the important word here is “choice.” Most of us wouldn’t choose the first car insurance quote we’re offered when other options could be better; we shouldn’t have to accept the first college savings plan that comes our way either.

So Duff is essentially saying he wants to choice so people can pick 529 plans that offer higher management fees or lower rates of return. So while he advocates on extending a tax credit that will lower state revenues, he is in fact pushing the concept of outsourcing educational investment dollars, a nifty contortion. People already have choice, they can invest in any 529 college savings plan. Investing in a CHET plan offers a Connecticut State income tax advantage that people can choose to accept or not.

State Senator Duff is also in the news with his bill to require CT DOT to provide a time line on when Super 7, the essential 4 lane highway connecting Norwalk and Danbury, will be completed. It’s been 50 years, and mostly a radioactive issue due to misguided NIMBY folks in Wilton. From The Hour:

State Sen. Bob Duff is continuing his quest for a four-lane limited-access highway connecting Norwalk and Danbury — a plan known as Super 7.Duff, D-25, called this week for legislation requiring the state Department of Transportation to produce a timeline for completing Super 7.

“We need to dust off the plan and get this back on track again — figure out a timeline that we can get this thing built,” Duff said. “We need to at least get this plan jump-started again.”

Interstate 95 in Norwalk and Interstate 84 in Danbury are connected by U.S. Route 7, most of which exists as a two-lane thoroughfare lined with stores and dotted with traffic lights. Duff said a Super 7 highway has “been on the books for over 50 years.”

The article provides the NIMBY position from State REp Toni Boucher,

State Rep. Toni Boucher, R-143, said Duff’s Super 7 plan is “not based on reality.”

“The funds for it are not there. The roadway would not pass an environmental impact study,” said Boucher, a member of the state legislature’s Transportation Committee and a Wilton resident. “Danbury and all the cities north of us here have all taken it off their long-term plans.”

Wilton First Selectman William Brennan also firmly opposes the highway.

Environmental impacts are the usual quivers in the NIMBY arsenal. But conveniently they aren’t mentioning the huge environmental impact that the current, slowly widening route 7 offers Wilton residents as cars idle in traffic spewing carbon monoxide, road rage and strip mall opportunities. The fact is, that Wilton contributes nothing to regions affordable housing crisis, they are at less than 1% of the state 10% requirement. Wilton residents benefit greatly from their urban neighbor Norwalk, and as they open office parks and retail stores to offset reliance on residential property taxes, they contribute to the stream of trucks and workers driving up and down route 7. So the current environmental impact of doing nothing, seems to outweigh the small environmental impact of residents who bought property next to a planned 4 lane highway. It’s the same environmental impact that you get when you buy property next to existing 4 lane highways, rail lines and such.

Demonstrating his concern for the greater New Haven area, State Rep Bruce Morris offers up a bill requiring restaurants to train workers in < from the Norwalk Advocate:

State Rep. Bruce Morris, D-Norwalk, said an acquaintance from Branford inspired him to submit a bill requiring restaurant workers to receive first-aid training.

“I was approached by a gentleman whose father was in a restaurant. He was choking on food and there was, fortunately, an off-duty EMS person who saved his life,” Morris said.

Morris wants to ensure at least a restaurant manager on duty has training in the Heimlich maneuver and CPR.

Simon Flynn, president of the Connecticut Restaurant Association, opposes Morris’ proposal.

Flynn said his industry is concerned about customers but wants emergency care left to the professionals.

Also from the Norwalk Adovocate, two bills focusing on first amendment issues:

McDonald also is sponsoring one of two proposed bills sure to raise concerns about First Amendment rights. The legislation would regulate adult advertising along major thoroughfares.

“The woman who contacted me was deeply offended she had to explain to her young daughter exactly what the billboards (for adult stores) along I-95 meant,” McDonald said.

Ryan has two bills prohibiting protests at funerals. One keeps them 500 feet from the mourners, the other 200 feet away.

Ryan said the request was made by a Darien constituent who was concerned about keeping protesters clear from funerals of soldiers.

Jeffrey Douglas, a California-based First Amendment lawyer and chairman of the Free Speech Coalition, said he has problems with McDonald and Ryan’s bills.

A court recently struck down a Missouri bill cracking down on adult advertising near roadways, Douglas said.

“It is very uncomfortable having to deal with being exposed to various levels of conduct and maturation. But again this is the world we live in, and legislation can do nothing about it,” he said.

Though less familiar with the legality of limiting funeral protests, Douglas said he opposes the concept.

“While I’m certainly sympathetic with the inappropriateness of turning personal grief into a political statement . . . saying you can only protest where you won’t have an impact is fundamentally inconsistent with the First Amendment,” Douglas said.

Ryan said his proposal has nothing to do with clamping down on anti-war opponents.

“It’s just that if someone is bereaved, (aren’t) they entitled to a little space? You shouldn’t be standing right next to the family. Do it across the street,” he said. “If it goes anywhere, it should be interesting.”

But read the whole Norwalk Advocate article, there’s more proposals about  issues that fall into the pander bin, and some which seem like a good idea. Find out who wants cars to be equipped with reflective safety vests and who wants to random steroid testing in highschools.